


Rewards of Losing

by Higuchimon



Series: Dragonflame and Nature's Spark [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Arc-V Epic Bingo, Canon Rewrite, Chapter Set Boot Camp, Diversity Writing Challenge, Epic Masterclass, Eventual Memory Manipulation, Healer-Firestarter AU, M/M, Series Masterclass, Talking Cats, YGO Big Bang 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:33:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 82,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26157340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higuchimon/pseuds/Higuchimon
Summary: Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory.  But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.
Relationships: Marufuji Ryou | Zane Truesdale/Mizael
Series: Dragonflame and Nature's Spark [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1669903
Comments: 55
Kudos: 15
Collections: Yu-Gi-Oh! Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Ryou, Mizael, Yuuri, Kei (OC)|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** One|| **Words:** 3,050|| **Total:** 3,050  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Another pleasant evening, made even better by a successful duel. Ryou stepped out of the door, enjoying the warm summer air. Much better than the chilly inside of his current – location. He didn’t want to think of it as a lair, though the half-dozen opponents he’d called here would probably disagree. 

Of course, they were all cards now. He wasn’t going to worry about their opinions. 

But he’d done all that he could here. He’d sealed some of the finest duelists in the XYZ dimension in cards and had a very good idea of how XYZ Summoning worked. He was only one of several operatives from Fusion in this world, seeking out information and taking care of potential troublemakers before they ever knew there would be trouble to make. 

That meant that he needed to destroy this place as quickly and cleanly as possible and then head on to his next location. It wouldn’t take long; he kept virtually nothing here anyway. All he needed was the time. 

He would make certain that this wasn’t the only place that burned. It would have to burn totally but it would need to spread, just to cover his tracks. A building that only burned when it was surrounded by other, equally flammable buildings, would quickly give away that an unregistered Firestarter roamed the area. The locals – the Guild, he’d learned they were called – would start looking for said Firestarter. 

Ryou had a lot invested in not being found and he’d done a very good job so far. He kept himself distant from as many people as possible, while not being standoff-ish to the point it caught other people’s attention. He couldn’t hide being a Firestarter but he could fly under their radar. 

_And once the invasion starts, I won’t have to hide at all._ He didn’t know when the invasion would start. But he suspected it would be soon. Everything had to be put into place and enough people trained to make it happen. 

Of course, Fusion and the Professor’s preparations had been built up for quite a while already. 

He started to go back inside, intent on getting his prizes and starting the fire. But something across the alleyway shifted, and Ryou stopped, staring intently. Had someone connected to one his opponents followed him here? 

He couldn’t see who it was, but his Firestarter senses flared up – he might not know who it was, but he could tell _what_ it was. 

_There’s a Healer there._ That didn’t seem quite right. What would a Healer be doing around here, even if they were allies to an opponent? 

“Who are you?” He asked, wary, hand ready to activate his duel disk at a moment’s notice. 

The voice that came back was – different in some ways that he’d never heard before. Soft and firm, laced with all the raw power of a Healer at least on his level, but coming from – farther down? A child? No, it couldn’t be. 

“I am Kei. And you must stop.” 

Ryou’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?” Had they somehow seen him? If that were the case, then he’d make sure that they were the next one that he carded. He couldn’t allow them to spread the word. Even if he could escape, it would put the invasion at risk. He couldn’t let that happen. 

“What you’re doing. Turning those who fall against you into cards. Denying yourself. You must stop.” 

Ryou pressed his lips together. So they had seen him. He would at least give them a good duel before carding them, regardless of their age. “If you want to stop me, then you’ll have to defeat me.” 

“That won’t happen.” A soft whisper of a laugh. “I cannot duel, my Firestarter.” 

“What?” Ryou shook his head. “I’m not your Firestarter. I already am courting someone else.” Though truth to tell he wasn’t especially thrilled about it, but Firestarters and Healers at Academia weren’t always given the choice on who they courted or bonded to. 

“You are. But as to why I can’t duel -” 

Ryou could see a pair of gleaming gray eyes moving out in the darkness. They reminded him of Shou’s eyes, though not even as high off the ground as Shou’s would be, and they were – they had - 

A light hung not that far from where he stood, so he saw what came out of the shadows very clearly. He simply didn’t believe what he saw. Slowly he shook his head. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t _possible_. But there it stood regardless, staring at him relentlessly. 

It was a cat. A very large cat, one that he might have even thought of as a panther. The cat’s head rose at least to his waist and was as black as a starless night. Intelligence gleamed in those gray eyes that regarded him so calmly. 

“No,” he whispered, shaking his head again. He’d clearly taken a harder hit in that last duel than he’d thought. That alone made sense. He wasn’t seeing a huge cat and if he did see a cat, the cat wasn’t _talking_ to him. It wasn’t possible. 

The cat did not smile. But from the set of the shoulders and the way the tail curled around the cat’s front paws, Ryou knew that it was amused at him. 

“As I said, I am Kei. I am your Healer Cat. You are my Firestarter. Or we will be.” 

Again Ryou shook his head. “Even if you exist – and you don’t – Yuuri doesn’t take very well to challengers.” 

Yuuri won the right to court him against four other Healers. There wasn’t much left of them. If one could call mulch “much” anyway. 

Kei’s tail twitched, head raising upward in a very confident gesture. “You may rest assured that I don’t care what he thinks. You are not his. You are mine.” 

If this cat was as possessive as Yuuri – no. He’d hit his head, that was all there was to it. He wasn’t hearing this. 

“I don’t have any food for you. Go try somewhere else,” Ryou snapped, turning on his heel and stalking back into the building. He locked the door behind himself and hurried to pick up the few items that he wanted to keep. He wasn’t even going to think that what had just happened could even be close to being real. 

The last thing he needed in his life was _another_ creature as possessive as Yuuri. It hadn’t yet been decided that they would bond, but as the two respective most powerful Firestarter and Healer at Academia, most people expected that they would, sooner or later. Ryou more or less expected it himself. Who else would he bond to, when he’d never met another Healer who came close to him in power? 

Kei had that strength. Ryou knew that even when he didn’t want to know it. There wasn’t a single Firestarter or Healer who could have missed it. 

_But that’s a cat. Cats can’t be Healers. Or Firestarters. I’m hallucinating._ He truly wanted to believe that with all of his heart. He didn’t dare think of what the other options might be. 

He packed up what he needed – the decks and the Duel Disks would be sent back home, which meant that anyone searching for them here wouldn’t find them – and found himself grateful all over again that the building had no windows. He stepped out of a different door, cautiously making certain that no one was in the area to see him. 

Especially not anyone with black fur and gray eyes. 

At least on this side of the building, there were far more streetlights, which meant far fewer places for a large black cat – that didn’t talk, because cats couldn’t talk – to skulk around. He took the time to change out of his Academia uniform to the street clothes he’d picked up to help blend in around here. Perhaps the cat wouldn’t notice him like this. 

_I’m not trying to avoid a talking cat._ He would tell himself that as often as he needed to. 

When he was a decent distance from the building, he turned and regarded it for a few moments. His eyes narrowed and his mind lashed outward, igniting the building. Flowers of flame unfolded from one particular side of it, not that far from a bar. The fire probably wouldn’t spread that far, but it would likely be written off as a late night drunk doing something that he shouldn’t. With a small effort of will, he made sure the fire burned bright and strong enough so erase every trace of his presence. 

He could hear fire alarms already on the way. He could only stay long enough to make sure any local Firestarters didn’t hear anything about him from the fire. Flames did not identify people by their names, but they could still give enough information to make him quite uncomfortable. 

“This has to stop.” Again the cat sat there, tail curled around their paws, staring at Ryou. “You’re hurting people. You know this is wrong.” 

Ryou’s first instinct was to correct that. He hurt people because he needed to; because it would help his people when the invasion came. But he wasn’t going to talk to a _cat_ about things like that. 

Instead, he finished off the fire, turned on his heel, and headed off into the night. The cat didn't follow. 

Not that he looked. Really. 

* * *

Kei watched his Firestarter until he was out of sight – a distance far greater than a human’s eyes would have been able to. He’d been watching this Firestarter for several days, learning what he could about him. 

That wasn’t nearly as much as he wanted. For all that a Healer Cat could tell certain things about any Firestarter, most especially their Firestarter, he couldn’t quite pin down important points about Marufuji Ryou. 

He knew that the Firestarter _was_ a Firestarter, and one strong enough and with the right personality that if the wrong event happened, he might well frost over. A nascent Frostflame needed an equally strong partner, or even two on occasion. 

He’d known before Ryou said a word that someone else was courting him. If one could call it _courting_. He could smell the scent of the other, a little faint but there, and he also smelled cruelty. It wasn’t so strong as to indicate it came from Ryou himself, though Ryou did have a few streaks of that himself. Not so much as to turn Kei off, though. 

Slowly he got up and followed. He’d tracked Ryou to where he lived some days before and didn’t need to go behind him to get there. But he wanted to keep an eye on his future partner regardless. 

What else he knew could be summed up very quickly and easily. Ryou wasn’t from this world. He didn’t carry any of the scents of it beyond what he’d picked up from living here for a scattering of months. But the fact he didn’t even know Healer Cats _existed_ made that absolutely plain. 

There were other cues as well. The way that Ryou didn’t seem to know what dueling just for _pleasure_ was came close to the top of the list. He only dueled when he would turn his opponent into a card at the end. 

That would _definitely_ have to stop. He wasn’t sure of why Ryou was doing it – he couldn’t read the Firestarter’s mind, only be aware of certain emotions – but it could not keep on happening. He wasn’t even certain of how Ryou did it. That would have to be changed as soon as possible. 

Silently Kei slipped through the night, considering his options. He knew the first and most powerful thing he needed to do – bond to Marufuji Ryou. It wouldn’t entirely eliminate his need for a human Healer but it would help balance him. Maybe then he would understand why what he did was wrong. 

Assuming that he didn’t already. Without knowing why he did it, Kei couldn’t be certain. He would have to ask that as soon as possible. 

There were routes in Heartland City – in any city where Cats dwelled – known only to those of the feline persuasion, be those Fire Cats, Healer Cats, or cats who were neither. Kei strolled down one of those, pausing at one of his favorite restaurants. He would have far preferred eating with his future Firestarter, but until he could convince Ryou that he was neither a hallucination nor a common cat, this would have to do. 

This particular route catered to unpartnered Cats of both types. Kei ordered himself a delicately prepared meal of fish and happily tore into it while considering his options. 

_I’ll have to keep at it with him. He’s stubborn._ Which wasn't a bad thing at all. Kei rather liked that, in fact. 

His tail swished as he considered what else to do. Ryou would need a proper Healer, a human. Were there any that could serve the purpose? Someone far better than whoever it was that was trying to court him through cruelty now. 

_I need a duelist for this. He won’t be happy if his Healer can’t duel._ Kei knew that already. Dueling sang in Ryou’s veins along with his blood and his flames. 

Unfortunately, there weren’t any duelists randomly lurking along the way between here and where they were going. Fortunately, Kei knew exactly where to find duelists. Far too late now to go looking, but come the next day… 

The sooner he could locate one, the better. If he wasted too much time, it wasn’t impossible that the Dark Healer who he scented around Ryou could make his move and they could begin to bond. That would be monstrous; not a true bond in the slightest. 

But Kei refused to let that happen. 

Once he finished his dinner, he loped off into the night, planning for what the following day would bring. 

* * *

Mizael liked being out late at night. He had a taste for rare flowers that grew best by night – there were few enough Healers who specialized in those, so he had them all to himself more than he didn’t. So he wandered through one of Heartland’s loveliest gardens, one that he’d helped grow, one that featured a great deal of evening primroses, jasmine, and wisteria. 

Sometimes he saw other Healers out in the gardens. That was hardly unusual; there were plenty of Healers who enjoyed the night-blooming blossoms, even if they weren’t good at growing them. Every Healer had their specialty, after all. 

He was also used to seeing Healers who brought their prospective Firestarters on courting dates to the Night Gardens. Sometimes he wondered if he would ever do that; presuming that he ever found a Firestarter or even a Fire Cat that he might want to bond to. So far, none of the ones he knew who weren’t bonded ever quite seemed _right_. 

What he wasn’t used to seeing in the Night Gardens was a Healer that he didn’t know whose presence sent a warning tingle up his spine. The stranger wasn’t doing anything untoward; he wasn’t even looking at Mizael right now, though he surely knew Mizael was there. 

This wasn’t just a strange Healer, though – this was a strange _unbonded_ Healer. He strolled along the walkways of the garden, whispering to the blossoms in the same style that any Healer would. He paused at one twining wisteria vine and regarded it thoughtfully, tracing it with one finger, and a soft chuckle that Mizael didn’t understand. 

Mizael approached carefully. This wasn’t just a Healer who was new in town. The closer he got, the more he could feel that this was also a duelist, even if he couldn’t see a deck or a duel disk on them. But a duelist’s spirit could not be hidden. 

“What are you doing here?” He finally asked. “Are you new to Heartland?” He’d heard nothing from the Guild about any new Healers and they were reasonably good about letting him know who might visit _his_ gardens. 

The new Healer turned towards him. His coloring was unusual, even for Heartland. His hair was mostly a deep shade of purple that matched his eyes, though there was pink in the back as well. He wore a uniform that Mizael didn’t recognize, as purple as his hair. His left arm cocked, as if intent on battle at a breath’s notice. 

“Only visiting,” the newcomer said, lips turning upward into a smile. Mizael tried to ignore the shivers that the smile sparked. This was a face that seemed crafted to smile but when he actually did so, all Mizael could think was to make it stop. “Is this your garden?” 

“It’s one of the city’s,” Mizael said, reaching up to brush his fingers over the wisteria. He’d always been rather fond of it. “But I take care of it, too.” 

“How nice,” the stranger agreed with a slight tilt forward of his head, too slight to really be called a nod. “It’s larger than my garden, but I have to share space at – my school.” Again that way his lips moved that invoked a smile without actually being one. 

Mizael nodded; he’d been through that experience when he was at school. All the student Healers had to share a communal garden. Which wasn’t a bad idea; it helped teach co-operation. But he far preferred having his own garden to himself. 

“Are you going to be visiting long?” Mizael knew he’d never been good at small talk. There were far better ways to spend one’s time, he believed. 

“Unfortunately, not. I came to visit the Firestarter that I’m courting.” Again his lips curved upward. “He’s in town for a time on – business.” 

Mizael nodded. Before he could ask the other for a duel, the newcomer tilted his head a bit more. “I’m terribly sorry. I’ve neglected my manners. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Yuuri.” 

Mizael nodded in return. “Mizael.” He had a family name, but he preferred not to use it. It had never meant that much to him and going only by his given name felt more fitting regardless. Then he smiled. “You wouldn’t happen to be a duelist, would you?” 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Because I wrote this for YGO Big Bang, I will update it daily until it’s done. Starting Monday I begin GX Month, which I’m quite looking forward to.


	2. Chapter 2

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Ryou, Yuuri|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Two|| **Words:** 3,055|| **Total:** 6,105  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Yuuri didn’t really enjoy being around other Healers. Too many of them had a tendency to be annoyed because his talents lay strongest with poison plants – and not the plants that could also be used to heal other people. He took a rather deep pleasure in testing how far he could push a Healer’s immunity to plant-based toxins. 

As well as an even deeper pleasure at realizing that the plants he crafted and grew himself would listen to him and no one else. Hearing a Healer scream as one of his favorite flytraps chewed remained one of life’s greater pleasures. 

But as much as he disliked other Healers, he couldn’t let that show, not here and now. The invasion hadn’t begun. These poor XYZ using fools had no idea of what lay in store for them. He savored that moment. It couldn’t come soon enough as far as he was concerned. 

“Yes, I am,” he answered the blond Healer who’d approached him. He’d heard the other give his name but Yuuri didn’t actually care about what other people called themselves. One had to be important to him for their name to matter. Off the top of his head, he remembered the Professor, Dennis Macfield, and Marufuji Ryou. No one else had interested him enough. “But if you want a duel, I can’t provide at the moment.” 

He really would have loved to. But as long as he was here, he wasn’t allowed. Not now, at least. 

The blond frowned. “Why not?” Oh, this was one of those true duelist types who could sense another duelist. That might make matters a bit iffier. Bu he kept his smile on. 

“I don’t have my deck with me,” Yuuri said with a casual wave of one hand. “Or my duel disk.” That was true. He’d left both of those at Marufuji’s place before coming out to search for his wandering Firestarter-to-be. “I also don’t have the time.” 

The other Healer tilted his head. “Somewhere to be?” 

Was everyone in this world so intrusive? People never asked him questions at home. They were quite pleased to let him do whatever it was he wanted to do without them knowing about it. The less they knew about what he did, the happier everyone was. 

“As I said, I’m here to meet with the Firestarter that I’m courting. Perhaps I’ll bring him by here.” Yuuri had considered that before even coming here. It was part of why he’d come in the first place, just to see if it would be worth their time. He still hadn’t made his mind up on that. 

Though truth to be told, if he _could_ have dueled, if the Professor's word hadn’t bound him to not doing so, he would have gleefully. He ached to test the skills of these duelists who used such a substandard method of summoning. 

_He is a Healer, though. Perhaps I’ll find him again later._ The Professor wanted as many non-Healer and non-Firestarter duelists carded and those who _were_ Healers and Firestarters brought back as captives for Fusion. Exactly what purpose he had in that Yuuri didn’t know. Nor did he care a great deal. If he were capable of capturing someone, then he would gladly do so. 

His lips curved for a second. “Now isn’t a good time,” he acknowledged, “but perhaps this weekend?” He would test this Healer’s strength as a duelist to see if he were worthy of being brought before the Professor. 

The other nodded, eyes lighting up at Yuuri’s words. “I’ll meet you here just after lunch. Is that good for you?” 

“Of course. I’ll even bring Marufuji.” He would be able to judge the Healer’s strength as both a Firestarter and a duelist. If Yuuri missed anything – highly unlikely – then he wouldn’t. 

Yuuri raised one hand in a farewell gesture before he turned and headed away. Marufuji would likely have finished with his tasks of the day and would be on his way back to his apartment, if not there already. Yuuri looked forward to some quality time with the taller duelist. 

He could feel the eyes of the other on him as he departed the garden. There was a definite sense of protectiveness that one had over this place. Yuuri wondered what it would be like if he’d approached the Healer’s personal garden. Perhaps he’d get the chance to find out. 

It didn’t take him all that long to get to Marufuji’s place. It wasn’t locked against him; Marufuji had installed one of the security systems from Fusion in this place when he’d moved in. Only those recognized by the system could enter now. 

His lip curled when he took in the whole place. It wasn’t in a bad neighborhood, but it didn’t have the class or the style of Duel Academia either. It was a building that rented exclusively to Healers and Firestarters as well. Perhaps Marufuji had located others who would also be useful to take back home during his stay here. 

Yuuri entered the apartment and made two cups of tea before he settled himself down on the couch. Not nearly as comfortable as the one in his own apartment, of course. He looked forward to spending more time there afterwards. 

He glanced towards the door as Marufuji entered. His greeting died on hi lips at the sight of how unnerved Marufuji looked as soon as he registered he was in a safe space. 

A part of him remained amused that anyone found a place where _he_ was safe. But he could entertain himself with that thought later. 

“What’s wrong?” Yuuri wanted to know. He didn’t get up. They weren’t bonded; Marufuji might still lash out in self-defense if something had truly disturbed him that greatly. 

Marufuji’s head jerked towards him, tension rising for a few seconds before he started to relax again. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.” 

Yuuri’s eyes narrowed at once and he rose to his feet. “Don’t try to lie to me.” That wasn’t the basis of a good Healer-Firestarter relationship. If they were bonded, then Marufuji wouldn’t be able to lie to him. He didn’t want the other getting the idea before then, either. 

But the other shook his head. “It isn’t wrong.” Slowly he set the case of captured decks and duel disks on the counter and moved to settle down on his chair. Yuuri crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Then tell me what happened.” He wasn’t going to let this sort of thing slide. That wasn’t _allowed_. He edged his tones ever so carefully in that way that Healers had; there wasn’t a Firestarter born that could deny a Healer, bonded or not, when spoken to like that. 

Marufuji sighed a very annoyed sigh. “I saw something. I think I hit my head too hard in that last duel because what I saw isn’t possible. Or someone had some sort of Solid Vision hologram going, better than anything I’ve seen before.” 

Yuuri moved closer to him. “Explain.” 

One blue eye peeked towards him. He could see the annoyance there and didn’t care. He wanted to know what was going on. 

“I saw a cat. A large black cat.” He raised one hand to about his waist to indicate the size. “And it spoke to me. Claimed that it was mine or I was its.” He shook his head. “That last duelist did get a couple of good hits in.” 

Yuuri frowned. A talking cat? That didn’t seem right, but he had seen a few people out walking with large cats. They wore harnesses and while he didn’t get close enough to talk to people, he could have sworn the humans spoke to them as they would to another human. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he said at last. “You’ve done enough for today.” He gestured for Marufuji to join him on the couch. He always hated that his prospective Firestarter was taller tha he was but he enjoyed being able to get him to relax. Marufuji was far too tense. 

The other settled down next to him. Yuuri leaned forward to the table in front of them and picked up one of the teacups, offering it to Marufuji. The tired duelist accepted it with a courteous nod. Yuuri took up his own and settled back into place, quite enjoying this quiet time. 

He took several sips of his tea and waited until both of them were far more relaxed before he spoke. 

“Tomorrow night we’re going to the Night Gardens. I was there earlier and they’re – interesting.” Not as lovely as his gardens, of course, but he had a thought on something that they could do there. It would be very entertaining – by his standards, at least. 

Marufuji nodded at that. He’d probably expected something of the sort. Yuuri only ever came here to take him on courting dates, after all. And to update him on whatever it was he might need to know about his mission and the coming invasion. 

“Is there any new information?” Marufuji wanted to know. Yuuri shook his head. 

“Keep doing what you’ve been doing. Have you noticed any Healers or Firestarters who might be useful for our cause?” 

Marufuji didn’t answer right away. Then he slowly shook his head. “Most of them don’t seem as strong as ours are.” 

“Choose some anyway. And a few who aren’t – for me to play with.” Yuuri chuckled. He had some very interesting plans for those people, common duelists who existed for no other purpose than to assist in a plan he’d been working on or months. Once the invasion began it would be much easier but until then, what the Professor didn’t know wouldn’t annoy Yuuri. 

Yuuri recalled that one Healer duelist that he’d met. “This weekend, I’m also going to have a duel against someone here. I think you’ll enjoy watching me crush them.” He might not be able to card them afterwards – such an annoyance – but he could use all the practice against XYZ users that he could get. And if this one did happen to be of suitable skill, then Yuuri could identify him later for recruitment. 

Whether the blond Healer would want to be recruited wasn’t the point, after all. 

He sipped more on his tea, enjoying the heat between his hands as much as he enjoyed the heat exuding from Marufuji. That was a Firestarter’s purpose, after all, using their flames to keep a Healer grounded, as much as their garden did. 

“I brought you a present,” Yuuri said at last, nodding towards the small box set on an out of the way table. It was within Marufuji’s reach and he pulled it over, curious. That was a much better look on him than being worried about a non-existent talking cat. 

Slowly he opened the box and peered inside. A small flytrap raised its head to look up at him – as much as it could look when it had no eyes. But there was _awareness_ there regardless. 

“I grew this one myself,” Yuuri said, brushing one finger against the side of the fly-trap's mouth. “Give it a name if you like.” 

Marufuji considered it. “It’s beautiful,” he said after a moment. It really was; Yuuri considered it one of his best works. Suitable for the Firestarter he courted, really. This one hadn’t flowered yet, but when it did, Yuuri had worked hard to ensure that the blossom would be as purple as he himself was. Possibly with some pink streaks to it. Not the usual coloring or the breed, but he was a Healer. He could do things like that. 

“Let it taste you,” Yuuri advised. “Then it will know who you are and not to hurt you.” 

Marufuji tilted his head around to look at Yuuri. “Would it hurt someone else?” 

“It will hurt anyone who isn’t me – or you, once it tastes you. Granted, it’s not big enough to eat someone and it probably won’t get that large, but I added something.” Yuuri indicated the whiskers on the stem. “Those are poisonous. _Extremely_ so. They’d probably just make you sick but they could kill someone who isn’t Healer or Firestarter.” 

Marufuji nodded before he regraded the gift again. “I’ll keep that in mind. Does it need to be fed?” 

“At least twice a week. I bred it to be very hardy. Insects will do. It’s not nearly big enough to eat people – yet.” Yuuri snickered softly. “But with any luck, the time will come.” 

This was the offspring of one of his most favored flytraps at home. He went to a lot of effort to create plants that in many ways were like the plants he used in his deck. Not identical; some things not even he could do. But he looked forward to trying new things every chance that he had. 

As they got comfortable once again, the plant now seated where they could see it, another thought passed through Yuuri’s mind. Some of those large cats that he’d seen – he’d definitely picked up Healer and Firestarter vibes off of them. He’d mostly ignored it. He’d seen them in areas where there were plenty of people and if these pets spent much time around a Healer or Firestarter, then it could rub off. At least that was what he’d told himself _then_. But with the mention of that creature that Marufuji had seen, he wasn’t quite so certain. 

“Was there anything else about that creature?” Yuuri wanted to know. If it could somehow be trouble, he very much wanted to nip it in the bud. 

Marufuji closed his eyes, thinking. “Before I saw it, I thought there was a Healer there,” he said at last. “But it was just the cat.” 

“Maybe that doesn’t make a difference,” Yuuri mused. “I’ve seen large cats with people before. Perhaps -” 

He could feel the tension seeping back into Marufuji and rested a hand on his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. You’re going to be mine, not a cat’s, no matter how different it might be.” 

He wasn’t at all displeased to see Marufuji agree. He still hadn’t made up his mind on if this was the Firestarter that he wanted but Marufuji had several good points in his favor – such as knowing when to agree with Yuuri and when to shut up. 

“Could cats actually be Healers or Firestarters?” Marufuji wondered instead. “Why haven’t we heard about them before?” 

“I don’t know.” Yuuri mused over that as well. “We’re meeting that Healer this weekend. We can find out then. Assuming that we haven’t learned anything beforehand. I’ll speak to the Professor when I go back home.” 

If anyone would know anything about such an oddity, then the Professor most likely would. Yuuri made himself more comfortable, letting himself sink into Marufuji’s fiery flames, and relaxed into dreams of cards and carding and creating cards – one card in particular. 

* * *

Ryou knew he needed to rest. He hadn’t eaten yet, however, and he’d neglected to pick up something on his way back. He hated being rattled about anything and the memory of a talking cat that could also be a Healer definitely rattled him. He fought to keep that under control. 

Seeing Yuuri, feeling the strength of Yuuri’s Healer gift, and knowing that his flames wrapped so well around Yuuri, all of that made him feel a great deal better. So did seeing the little flytrap as it sat on the table, proud and beautiful. Giving a gift like this, grown from Yuuri’s own favorite flytrap, was one more step along their path to bonding. 

Yuuri was the only person that he was allowed to consider bonding to right now. The rules of Academia applied even after graduation – both of them were part of the Professor’s army, after all. Healers and Firestarters needed to be bonded, to keep their sanity intact. 

_I’ve heard people say that Yuuri doesn’t have a lot of sanity to loose in the first place._

When the fact he and Yuuri would be courting one another had made its way through their fellow graduates, more than one person made a point to pass by Ryou and express their sympathies. Everyone knew that Yuuri grew some of the most monstrous plants in the entire Fusion dimension, even more so than most Healers. Whispers ran riot about what happened to those unbonded who dared to enter his Garden. Some said they knew those who’d never returned. 

Ryou saw nothing at all wrong with that. Trespassing in a Healer’s Garden, especially one as powerful and high-ranking as Yuuri, carried a high price. If someone had touched _his_ rocky garden, then he would unleash his own brand of death on them. Granted, his would be far quicker than what Yuuri did. Yuuri liked to hear screams and made no bones about it. 

That cat wouldn’t like that. That cat seemed to think there was something wrong with what he was doing now. 

_It’s wrong. It’s only a cat. What could it now about what’s right or wrong?_ It probably ate live mice. Or worse, if it were a stray. Strays did that sort of thing, or so Ryou had heard. Truth to tell, now that he thought about it, he’d never seen a stray cat at Academia. There were a few on the mainland, but not on the island. 

Something about that seemed off, now that he considered the matter. True, most of the teachers weren’t the type to want a pet that couldn’t devour someone whole and the Professor looked down upon eating the students. But what about other people? Students weren’t allowed pets of any kind. No teachers had any. But the others? The staff? Surely they could have had pets. But none of them did. 

And now that he thought about it more, he could remember seeing people who walked around with large cats. He’d thought nothing of it. Merely the fashion here to have a large cat with a harness on, he presumed. Surely some of them were assistance animals. He’d heard of those before. There were even a few Academia students who had such creatures, though never a cat. 

But they’d given him that same feeling that the cat he’d seen had. He'd merely paid no mind to it. 

Perhaps that hadn’t been the best idea. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Everything is domestic and tranquil – for now. The process of shattering that tranquility has already begun.


	3. Chapter 3

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Ryou, Mizael, Yuuri, Kei (OC)|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Three|| **Words:** 3,012|| **Total:** 9,117  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Mizael preferred the night shift but when he knew someone would be wandering his garden, he wasn’t averse to making the effort to wander in the daylight. The plants in the garden whispered among themselves as he wandered, quite pleased to see him. He brushed his hands carefully along some of them; it had been a while since he’d seen them. They enjoyed the attention, releasing more of their lovely fragrances at his touch. 

He’d only been there a couple of hours before he caught sight of purple. He took another look and saw blue as well. There was the Healer he’d seen – who still gave the same sensation that he had the night before. The plants all whispered in glee; it had been some time since there had been two Healers there at the same time. 

Mizael started towards the two of them, trying hard not to look too long as the Firestarter as he got closer. He wasn’t having a lot of luck; everything about this Firestarter drew his attention. He’d seen a few tall people in his time but this one had to be one of the tallest. His hair was a deep shade of blue and while he wasn’t close enough for Mizael to be sure, he thought the eyes matched. They both wore ordinary enough clothes, Yuuri in a different outfit from what he’d had the night before, and the Firestarter in shades of blue. 

_Who is he?_ Mizael allowed himself to think only that before he mentally jerked himself up. They were _courting_! He didn’t even know the Firestarter’s _name_! Very bad things happened to Healers and Firestarters who poached or even attempted to poach. Those things often involved being set afire or fed to a hungry plant. 

And when they didn’t, they usually involved combat of some kind. Mizael believed he could get the best of just about anyone who he fought against, but it wasn’t worth the energy. He would be polite. He would not be a poacher. 

He did raise one hand to greet them. Yuuri nodded towards him and nudged his companion. The Firestarter glanced over and his eyes locked on Mizael’s. 

For a few seconds, Mizael wasn’t entirely certain of how one breathed. It wasn’t just the sense of flames there – far more powerful than any that he recalled seeing, ever. But the duelist’s spirit that glowed inside this new arrival made him ache for his deck and duel disk. It didn’t matter who won, as long as they strove against one another. 

“Hello,” Yuuri said as they came within speaking distance. “You’re the Healer that I met last night, aren’t you?” 

Mizael fought to center himself. He smiled instead. “Yes. Mizael.” He kept his attention on the Healer – Yuuri, he remembered the name was. 

“This is the Firestarter I’m courting.” Yuuri nodded at the tall young man, who drew himself out of whatever his inner thoughts were to nod at Mizael. 

“Marufuji Ryou. A pleasure to meet you.” His words held perhaps a fraction more warmth than when strangers normally meant and Mizael had to remind himself all over again that he wasn’t a poacher. 

Mizael nodded. “Likewise.” Empty courtesies and nothing more, but they allowed him the time to feel those impressive flames, even with the distance between them. He’d not felt fire like that _ever_ , not even around IV, the strongest Firestarter that he knew of. 

Marufuji didn’t exactly make IV feel like a candle-flame but a flame-spar between the two of them would be a thing of legend. 

At least there was something else that he could focus on right now. “Are you certain that you want to wait until this weekend for the duel?” He asked Yuuri. “I’m ready now.” 

Yuuri heaved a somewhat overdone sigh. “I still don’t have my deck and duel disk with me.” He tapped the fingers of one hand on his opposing arm. “However, you have yours, don’t you?” He turned his attention to Marufuji, who nodded. “Why don’t the two of you have a duel? I’ll watch.” His eyes glinted with excitement. “In fact, this weekend, I’ll duel the winner. If it’s you, Mizael, I’ll duel you twice.” 

Mizael thought that sounded perfect. He gestured up to a higher area. “We can duel up there. You’ve got a D-Gazer, don’t you?” 

“Of course.” Marufuji slipped it out of his pocket. It matched flawlessly to his coloring, of course, as did the duel disk that joined it a breath later. As the three of them headed that way, Mizael wondered exactly what sort of dueling he would see against him. He always enjoyed finding out what strategies his opponents had, and finding ways to bring them to a swift end. 

**Interesting.** A voice that only he could hear echoed in his ears. He could see Jinlong there, in his human form, gaze fixated on the other two duelists. **Very interesting indeed.**

Mizael tilted his head to the side, not enough for his walking companions to notice, but he knew that Jinlong would know what he was thinking. What was so interesting about them? What could catch the attention of an eons old dragon about two ordinary – well, very powerful – Healer and Firestarter? 

**They’re not like anyone I’ve seen around here. Very different indeed.** Jinlong shook his head, his braid a soundless wisp of white. **Let’s see what this duel shows us, shall we?**

When Jinlong spoke like that, there wasn’t anything that one could do except accept it. Mizael focused on getting his cards shuffled and preparing or what would come next. 

Just as the two of them activated their disks and D-Gazers, Mizael caught sight of a streak of pitch black behind Marufuji. He blinked for a second, realizing it was a Healer Cat. Seeing ones that weren’t bonded just wandering wasn’t especially unusual, but it also wasn't common. Healer Cats and Fire Cats did as they pleased, exactly as common cats did, except for being more vocal about it. 

_Huh. Wonder what they’re doing here._ The Healer Cat stayed where it was, eyes tracking on someone. Mizael thought it might be Marufuji but he couldn’t be certain. He said nothing at all; Marufuji was being courted by a Healer already and that Healer Cat would be able to tell. 

He refocused himself on getting the duel started. Yuuri hummed, gazing between the two of them, before he gestured towards Mizael. 

“You can have the first turn,” he declared grandly. “I look forward to seeing what you can do.” 

Mizael got to business right away. He didn’t want to summon Jinlong, the ace of his deck, right away. He wanted to see what Marufuji could do first. He enjoyed a good, swift duel, once he knew how strong his opponent was. 

Marufuji seemed to play a Machine-type deck, one with a focus on dragons and other creatures of myth. As soon as his turn began, he summoned a powerful level five monster, made so much easier because Mizael had one of his monsters on the field already. 

_So that’s why Yuuri wanted me to go first. He knew that Marufuji would use it to his advantage._ He wasn’t at all surprised. That was good thinking. In a sense he wasn’t fighting one opponent, but two, who knew each other very well. 

Back and forth the two of them went, biting into one another’s life points as they did. Mizael noticed quickly something unusual – that Marufuji didn’t have any XYZ monsters at all. Before he could stop himself, he asked that. 

“No. That’s not the style of summoning that I use,” Marufuji said. “I have something else.” 

His gaze flicked over to Yuuri, who nodded, raw eagerness flickering all over his features. Then Marufuji did something Mizael hadn’t ever seen before. He’d _heard_ of it, but he’d never seen it. 

“I activate Fusion in my hand to merge my three Cyber Dragons into Cyber End Dragon!” 

The monster was magnificent. Mizael couldn’t argue that at all. Jinlong still wasn’t on the field, but Mizael heard his impressed whisper regardless. **What a wonderful creature. I do hope-**

What he hoped Mizael wasn’t sure about. Cyber End Dragon took a huge chunk from his life points, and if he hadn’t had a face-down trap that negated most of the damage, it could have been so much more. Mizael shuddered at the blow, stumbling back a few steps, then steadied himself. 

“That’s amazing,” he declared, staring at the three-headed metallic creature that rose over him. He grinned. “I’m going to enjoy taking it down. 

“Do your best,” Marufuji said, a smile teasing at his lips for a few seconds. “Whatever you can do.” 

What Mizael could do was finally find a way to summon Jinlong. Jinlong’s effects worked best against Dragon-Type monsters, but that wasn’t an insurmountable barrier. A couple of other cards combined to change Jinlong’s effect to affecting Machine-types – he could hear Jinlong complaining – and he took Cyber End Dragon away from Marufuji. 

**Hello there,** Mizael murmured to the great creature as it came to stand in front of him. He expected one of two things – either nothing at all, the reaction he got when the monster had no spirit, or the awareness of the spirit directed towards him. But instead, Cyber End Dragon’s attention was all on Marufuji. The awareness was so strong Mizael wondered that other people couldn’t see it or feel it. 

He mentally shook his head. He would work that out later. Jinlong would probably no more. He needed to wrap this duel up. Marufuji didn’t have anything left in his hand or face down, so with Cyber End Dragon and Jinlong working together, they finished off the last of his life points. 

It took a few more minutes after that for both of them to recover. Mizael crossed over and handed Cyber End Dragon back to him. “That’s an amazing monster you have. I’ve never seen anyone who uses that Summons Style either.” 

“It’s common where we’re from,” Yuuri said, eyes glittering. “I use it too. I really can’t wait until I can duel you.” 

“Likewise.” Mizael wondered what sort of monsters that Yuuri might have in his deck. He could feel the strength of at least one spirit there, one that he could almost swear stared at him even without being summoned. 

**That’s because it is. I can’t see it myself. It conceals itself very well. But it’s powerful beyond measure.** Jinlong rubbed his chin in thought. **I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a spirit like this before. How fascinating.**

Mizael didn’t have a chance to ask further questions. Marufuji started to say something, then broke off, his eyes resting on something else. Mizael turned to see what he saw and saw nothing unusual at all – just someone going by with their Cat. 

‘What is that?” Marufuji murmured. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

Yuuri turned in that direction as well. “That is a very large cat,” was all that he said. Mizael tilted his head, catching a tiny glimpse of that black cat sliding deeper into the shadows. Whether it was still there or not he wasn’t sure. 

“It’s a Fire Cat,” he said, taking a better look to be certain. “Probably with their Healer.” He shrugged. “You’ve never seen one that big before?” Cats were big. There were many reasons people gave them the same respect as they did human Healers and Firestarters, starting with the fact they also came armed with sharp teeth and claws and the will to use them if necessary. 

“I’ve never see one at all,” Marufuji told him. Mizael blinked. That wasn’t the answer that he’d expected. 

“Really? I thought they were everywhere.” He’d certainly never herd of anywhere where Cats hadn’t existed. They went with Healers and Firestarters. He might have been less surprised to hear that their hometown didn’t have a sun in the sky. 

Yuuri shook his head. “We come from a very remote place. You’ve likely not heard of it before.” 

“Shinokawa,” Marufuji offered. “I’ve checked. It’s not even on any maps.” 

That sounded odd. Mizael hadn’t heard of it, true, but he thought most maps had most places. Perhaps he’d been mistaken. But to even think that such a remote place had no Fire Cats or Healer Cats… 

_Those should be a part of everyone’s basic education._ Finding out otherwise didn’t feel right. He was torn between asking for more details and checking in with the Guild. He wasn’t overly fond of the Guild to start with, but it _was_ their job to keep an eye on the education of all Healers and Firestarters. 

Yuuri’s hand rested on Marufuji’s. “It was a lovely duel and I look forward to seeing you this weekend. But we have somewhere else to be right now.” There was a hint of distance already in his voice. He said nothing more, but turned, taking Marufuji with him. 

Mizael wasn’t at all sure of what had just happened. The two of them were quickly out of sight, and he settled himself down on the nearest bench, thinking. 

_So strange. So very strange._. 

**Extremely so,** Jinlong agreed. **Cyber End Dragon definitely had a spirit and that spirit wasn’t pleased at being turned against their master. Understood it was merely a part of the game and no real harm was done, of course, but didn’t like it regardless.**

Mizael nodded. He’d had that happen to some of his monsters in the past. He hadn’t liked it then either. 

A whisper of black moved closer and he looked up to see the black Healer Cat from before standing in front of him. As always, he took a moment to recover from seeing just how _large_ these Cats were. This one’s head could well come up to Marufuji’s waist and every ounce of it’s bulk was solid muscle. Intelligent gray eyes stared at him, and while it didn’t wear a harness to indicate it was bonded, the Cat did have a collar with a bag around the neck, offering it a place to store such items as its registration card. So it wasn’t a wild Cat at all, even if it was as big as one. 

“Hello,” Mizael greeted. “Is there something I can do for you?” Unbonded Cats weren’t known for walking up to unbonded Healers or Firestarters, especially if they were of like type. He might have expected a Fire Cat, if one decided that he was worth bonding to. But a Healer Cat wasn’t expected. 

“Perhaps. My name is Kei.” The Cat told him. No one quite knew how Cats could twist their mouths to speak in human languages when it wasn’t possible for standard cats. Some biologists considered it a byproduct of the Wildfire Virus, the long ago plague that created Healers and Firestarters, Healer Cats and Fire Cats, in the first place. 

Mizael didn’t know. What he knew was that it was best to be very polite to something that weighed roughly the same as an adult human, and had all the claws and teeth of a cat and the intelligence of a human. 

He wondered at times what human history would be like if they didn’t share the planet with an equally intelligent and powerful species that chose to aid them. Probably not a world he would want to live on. 

“I’m Mizael,” he said. “Are you looking for someone in particular?” 

“The one I want just left. The Firestarter – Marufuji Ryou.” Kei settled don in front of Mizael, tail draping over his paws. “But I think I want to talk to you about him.” 

That wasn’t anything like what Mizael expected. “What do you mean?” 

“He is my Firestarter. He might be yours as well.” 

Mizael jerked up, trying hard to ignore the sensation of warmth that came from the very idea. He shook his head quickly. “Those two are already courting, I’m not going to poach.” He’d told himself that quite a few times already. 

“You wouldn’t be. That one isn’t the proper one for him.” Kei shook his head. “But Ryou isn’t in the mind-frame to see that right now.” 

Mizael frowned. “What are you talking about?” 

The tip of Kei’s tail twitched, his ears flicking back and forth. “I don’t know everything. I know he’s doing something that should make him unhappy. But I don’t know why he isn’t and why he won’t stop. I don’t think he wants to do it but he doesn’t know he shouldn't want to do it.’ 

Cats weren’t always known for being direct but Mizael thought this was a little off even for a Cat. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“I can show you where he does this. I know what it looks like but if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me right now. You need to see it for yourself.” Kei stared at him. “You know he has the spirit of a true duelist.” 

Mizael nodded. He’d felt it blazing against him and if he hadn't been lucky in his draws, then he would have been the one defeated. 

“But I’m not going to poach,” he reminded Kei. That went beyond wrong. It was _rude_. If they decided that they weren’t going to bond, then that was one thing. But from what little he’d seen - 

Mizael stopped right there and considered. What had he seen? Yuuri seemed very – possessive. That wasn’t wrong, by itself. Some people liked that and most Healers and Firestarters were possessive anyway, to some degree. Forging a bond was a sacred act that wasn’t done lightly by any means. The right choice had to be made. 

He didn’t think he’d seen Marufuji trying to pull away and there wasn’t any hint of Bond’s Bud that he’d detected. Growing that was illegal just about everywhere. He would have noticed some of the scent around Marufuji if that were the case. 

But at the same time, the more that he considered it, the more certain he became that Kei might just be right. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** I would have written the entire duel out but Mizael has very little in his deck that doesn’t aim for summoning his Numbers and since Numbers don’t exist there, it wasn’t worth the effort. Jinlong has his basic effects but just isn’t a Number. And yes, Mizael can see and hear duel spirits.


	4. Chapter 4

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Ryou, Mizael, Yuuri, Kei (OC), Akaba Leo|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Four|| **Words:** 3,059|| **Total:** 12,176  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.  
[[MORE]]

* * *

_Healer Cat. That’s a Healer Cat. They really can talk. I wasn’t imagining it._

Ryou tried to wrap his mind around the concept. It wasn’t really that difficult, as strange as it seemed. So there were large cats that held the intelligence of humans and the power of Healers and Firestarters. And could apparently bond with them the way that humans did. 

Did this mean that Healer Cat wanted to bond to _him_? What did it know about him? He remembered what the Cat had said – about how what he was doing had to stop. His eyes narrowed; he wasn’t going to betray his people nor his Professor. 

Yuuri’s hand rested on his arm. “Stay away from them. That Healer and the Cat,” he ordered, rage hissing underneath his voice. Few might have heard it; Ryou knew Yuuri all too well. He heard that rage as if it were his own. 

“Mizael didn’t seem like such a problem,” Ryou murmured. “He’s a very good duelist. I want to try him again sometime.” 

Yuuri’s grip tightened. “No. Keep away from both of them. He already knows you play Fusion. Once the invasion starts, he’ll know where your true allegiance lies. _Then_ you can play him again – and this time, you will take him down.” His hand gentled a fraction. “I expect to watch you sweep him away.” 

Ryou wasn’t going to argue that. He wanted to defeat Mizael – he really just wanted to duel him again. The thought of not seeing the Cat again wasn’t such a bad one. Or so he did his best to tell himself. Cats shouldn’t talk. Cats shouldn’t be Healers. 

And yet, it was. Yet the wisdom and caring in those gray eyes hummed in the back of his head. 

Again Yuuri’s hand tightened on him. “You do understand, don’t you? _We_ are to be bonded as soon as the Professor’s goal is accomplished. I would prefer sooner.” 

As much as Ryou knew that he needed to pay attention to Yuuri, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Instead he kept looking around for that great form of black and those intelligent gray eyes, expecting to see them anywhere and not doing so. 

That was probably wisest. If that Cat knew anything about Yuuri, then it – he – would know not to spark his wrath. 

He should go away and never return, find a Firestarter that was not already chosen by another. It would be much, much safer for him. 

“I understand,” Ryou said, only when Yuuri’s grip tightened that bit more. He didn’t think Yuuri would actually inflict real damage on him, but why take the chance? Even if he did, that wouldn’t be so bad… 

Yuuri released him and crossed his arms over his chest, very annoyed. “I’ll have to inform the Professor about this. These Cats could be an issue.” He shook his head. “Don’t do anything so that the Healer human gets too suspicious of you. I don’t want him to try to track you down.” 

“He won’t find me if I don’t want to be found,” Ryou assured the Healer. “You can return home.” 

Yuuri nodded briefly. He didn’t leave Ryou’s side, however, not until they made their way back to his tiny apartment. He crossed over to where he’d left his duel disk, then turned back to Ryou. 

“I’ll be back this weekend. I am going to duel that Healer, after all.” His eyes glimmered in anticipation. “And I’d rather not hear that you tried to cheat on me.” 

Ryou crossed his own arms, raised his head, and stared down at Yuuri, flaring his flames. Yuuri’s eyes widened and he held himself back from shuddering in pleasure. “I don’t do that,” Ryou stated flatly. “The Professor assigned us to each other. You won the right to court me. That’s all that I need.” 

Though if he were to be totally true to himself, he didn’t know for certain if Yuuri really was the Healer that he wanted. Yuuri’s cruel streak didn’t bother him in the slightest. Being cruel was a way of life at Duel Academia. But that didn’t make them perfect for one another. 

He’d rather thought once upon a time that he and Edo might at least consider one another, perhaps even indulge in a bit of courting. But Edo ended up bonded to a childhood friend of his, Saiou Takuma. Ryou hadn’t ever met him but trusted Edo to make the right decision. Edo was the closest that he had to an actual friend. Or at least that he’d had in quite a long time. 

He suspected he could still count Asuka as a friend. They hadn’t spoken in quite some time. He knew that she was doing well in her classes, and would probably be part of the invasion once it got started. She was in the same year as Shou, though unlike him, she would probably be part of the Firestarter branch of Obelisk Force. The Firestarters would seek out any of the talented ones and challenge them, with the goal of taking them back to Fusion to be re-educated. 

The Healers, on the other hand, would be busy tending to their wounded – assuming any of those duelists who would left could wound them at all – and making certain the Firestarters remained steady. 

Neither Shou or Asuka had bonded yet. Asuka refused everyone that was assigned to her, not so much as going on a single courting date. No one had been assigned to Shou as of yet. He was still in the profess of developing his talents, so no one knew what strength he would be at. 

All of that passed through Ryou’s mind in the space of a heartbeat. He nodded his farewell to Yuuri, who regarded him for a few seconds, before he raised his duel disk and used it to teleport back home. 

Ryou settled down on his couch and stared at the ceiling in thought. He’d learned so much today. Healer Cats existed. He hadn’t been seeing things. But what could that Healer Cat want with _him_. 

If the Cat came back around, Ryou would encourage him to go somewhere else. As for Mizael – Ryou wanted to think that he would never see him again, and the thought of it caused a tiny twitch somewhere deep inside. That wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to see him again, to duel him again, win or lose. Preferably win – Fusion was far, far better than XYZ in every way and he wanted to make that very clear. 

_The invasion will do that,_ he reminded himself. He knew it to be true. That didn’t take the feeling that he wanted to do this himself. He’d been in this world for over three months, dueled countless XYZ users who frequently belittled his dueling when they saw him using Fusion. Mizael hadn’t – he’d been more intrigued than anything else. 

_He would be just like the others._ Ryou refused to let himself believe otherwise. That too had been a part of the Professor’s teachings – that the other summoning types had their _uses_ , but Fusion remained the greatest of them all, and would lead to the eventual union of all the worlds. 

Ryou didn’t know why that was so important to his Professor. A few people had, over the years, asked. The only answer Ryou knew that the Professor had given was that all would be understood once it happened. 

Ryou tilted his head to see the flytrap resting on the table. Yuuri had made it just for him. One more step to their eventual bonding. He really had no one else that he could bond to. None of the Healers at Academia were strong enough for him. 

But Mizael – and the Cat – he could feel their power. Either of them – both of them – would be a suitable match. 

No. Ryou refused to let himself entertain the notion, even for a second. He was a warrior of Fusion. That would never change. 

* * *

The moment Yuuri entered his Garden, every plant and scrap of grass there weaved and danced, picking up on the rage that bubbled underneath his calm surface. His favorite flytrap, the very largest one, couldn’t quite vocalize but it came close to it, swaying in a non-existent wind, leaves reaching towards Yuuri. 

He rested one hand on the nearest leaf, feeling the prickle of hairs against his skin, and whispered a soft reassurance. His plants were a tiny part of him – many tiny parts of him – and they would always react to his rage. Every Healer had to deal with this. It was one of the reasons they needed a Firestarter, to keep their emotions from stretching out to everyone within range. 

Now he settled himself down in his favorite and most restful part of the garden and struggled to put his thoughts together. They’d found a very powerful duelist. That would be good; the Professor would definitely want Mizael taken, especially since he was an equally powerful Healer. Perhaps even on Yuuri’s own level. 

No. Not quite that strong. It wasn’t even possible. But close. Very close indeed. 

What Yuuri worried about more was that Cat. He’d never even seen it and he didn’t want to. Just hearing that it existed was more than enough to infuriate him. It came close to what was _his_ and he could tell already that Marufuji was far more intrigued by both of them than he had any right to be. 

_I should bring him back home and bond with him now._ If it weren’t for needing the Professor’s permission, Yuuri knew he would do it. In point of fact, he was on the brink of doing so even without permission. He needed a Firestarter, one that would not only be the perfect partner, but who would also assist him in his plans. 

The Professor wanted the worlds fused. Yuuri had far more interesting ideas. But all in good time. 

He stroked his flytrap’s leaves as he considered what he needed to do. First and foremost, he did need to inform the Professor about the existence of these Healer Cats and Fire Cats. The report on Marufuji’s progress was almost as important, but could wait a bit. 

He made his way to where the Professor worked, consulting with his scientists and on occasion teachers. He didn’t know what they were talking about; likely something in relation to the upcoming invasion. He’d heard a great deal more than what most of them might have expected from him. Though he’d gone through the accelerated course to graduation and would be an important member of the invasion to come, he could still tell that some of them merely considered him the Professor’s obedient little pet. 

Pets learned to bite, if not treated properly. Yuuri bared his teeth in an expression that wasn’t close to being a smile. Oh, he would enjoy sinking his teeth into the Professor soon enough. 

All in due time. First, to get this situation dealt with. 

* * *

Professor Akaba Leo lounged backward on his throne, only half-listening to the reports. He’d figured out the gist of them from the first few minutes and the rest of it was meaningless. His thoughts turned endlessly to the two most important to him. 

Selena – one-fourth of what had once been his daughter. He wanted to see Rei again so badly. He thought if he didn’t have Selena there, he would have forgotten what she looked like after all this time. Even so, he knew the differences between the two by heart. Not just physical but mental. 

Even so, he could see the similarities as well. Selena had every scrap of Rei’s stubbornness and determination to do what was right. 

_What will the others be like?_ He didn’t as of yet know even their names, but he had agents working in all three of the other dimensions. Sooner or later, he would have his daughter back again. 

A knock came at the door. He raised his head, dismissing the scientists with a wave of one hand. “Yes?” 

The door swung open and Yuuri entered, pacing forward in his usual fashion, one hand resting on his hip. He smiled, or at least had the corners of his mouth turned up. Leo had seen people smile before, out of sheer bliss or happiness. Yuuri’s smiles always held secrets behind them, as if he’d caused unimaginable pain to spark the expression. 

There were times he wondered if he did the right thing, ensuring that Yuuri and Marufuji Ryou would bond to one another. But Yuuri needed to be restrained, kept on the path that led to Leo’s goals, and someone like Marufuji would be the best person to do that. 

“Yuuri?” Leo raised one eyebrow. “You have something to report?” This was mildly interesting, since Yuuri didn’t have an assignment right now. At most he flitted over to XYZ to have courting dates with Marufuji and perhaps find some duelists who could be of use to them. 

He shouldn’t have really found anything that required him to come here. Unless - Leo fought back the urge to be both thrilled and terrified at the same time. He couldn’t decide which one until he heard what Yuuri had to say. 

“I just came from the XYZ dimension,” Yuuri reported. “It seems that they have creatures there known as Fire Cats and Healer Cats – equal in sentience and intelligence to humans, and equally talented.” 

Leo’s hands closed on the arms of his throne. “I see.” Oh, he had not forgotten that. He’d merely hoped that they would somehow have conveniently disappeared over the last twenty years or so. Of course, he couldn’t have been that lucky. 

Yuuri stared at him, eyes sharp and intelligent and too muck like Zarc’s for Leo’s personal comfort. “One of them is sniffing around Marufuji. I’ve warned him away from it, of course, but I wanted to know what your orders were.” 

Healer Cats and Fire Cats. He’d not seen one of those in so long that so far as he knew, they didn’t exist at all in Fusion anymore. If they did exist, they kept themselves very quiet and out of his way. He far preferred it that way. 

“I have heard of those,” he said thoughtfully, choosing his words with care. He didn’t really want Yuuri to ask certain questions. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to ensure that this fragment of Zarc never would ask them. “They are quite dangerous and are not to be trusted. Should you cross paths with one, make certain you card it as soon as possible.” 

Yuuri tilted his head forward into a brief nod. “Are they capable of dueling?” 

Of course he would ask that. But Leo shook his head. “No. Not that I am aware of.” Cats were very talented and perhaps under the right conditions – but no. He’d never met one that could, at least. “Are you interested in dueling one?” 

“I’m interested in dueling anyone,” Yuuri replied with a feral grin. “In fact, I did encounter an XYZ Healer that we may wish to recruit.” His eyes briefly darkened. “Though I suspect that one is also sniffing around Marufuji.” 

A Healer and a Healer Cat of XYZ lurking in the vicinity of one of his greatest warriors. That didn’t bode well. But Leo trusted his training to keep Marufuji where he belonged. Especially with Yuuri there to keep him grounded. 

“Bring him here as soon as you can,” Leo ordered. “We’ll see to him after that.” 

They would need all the strong duelists that they could acquire. If some of those happened to originally come from one of the other dimensions, then so be it. They would be taught proper loyalty and obedience – one way or another. 

A little memory alteration would work for those who wouldn’t accept the Fusion way of thinking. He didn’t quite look forward to doing that to the rest of Rei’s fragments but it would have to be done. Far better than what one of his scientists had suggested. The very idea that he would put _bugs_ into those girls – as if it would even work. 

They’d learned the hard way that it wouldn’t. 

Rei would forgive him once she returned. And even if he didn’t, then she would be alive once again, and as far as he was concerned, that was all that mattered. 

* * *

Mizael showed Kei where he lived; they would have to wait for the next day to learn anything more about Marufuji. Mizael really _wanted_ to but he wanted time to rest. While Kei nosed his way around Mizael’s small apartment, Mizael searched for something they could eat, a dozen thoughts musing their way through his mind. 

_He uses Fusion Summoning. But he also uses Cyber Dragons._ Something about that nudged at his memories. He wasn’t sure of why, but there was something there that he couldn’t quite click onto. 

Kei made a noise and Mizael turned towards him. The Cat had his paw on top of Mizael’s back issues of Duelist Magazine. 

“Have you read these?” 

Mizael shook his head. “I get them because I work at a card store.” He usually thumbed through them to get an idea of what kind of cards would be released soon. But they usually also had reports about what was going on in the world of dueling. Those he mostly ignored. 

Kei tapped them again with one great paw. “Read them. The more recent ones. You’ll find something in there.” 

“What do you mean?” Mizael came over and settled on the couch. He did wish he could get Kei to be more forthcoming, but Cats were still _cats_. They said what they wanted, when they wanted, no more and no less. 

“I told you that he was doing something that he needs to stop. You’ll find it in there.” Kei shook his head. “I don’t know any other way to describe it.” 

Mizael picked up the most recent one – tossed there only the day before – and started to page through it curiously. He wondered what it was he was looking for, and how long it might take him to find it. Would he even recognize what Kei meant by it? 

Only one way to find out, he decided, and kept on reading. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** And the plot marches onward! Of course Ryou and Mizael aren’t going to keep apart, even if Ryou (thinks) he wants to.


	5. Chapter 5

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Ryou, Mizael, Yuuri, Dennis, Kei (OC)|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Five|| **Words:** 3,024|| **Total:** 15,200  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.  
[[MORE]]

* * *

Ryou had the best of intentions to avoid Mizael. He would remain loyal to Yuuri. He would remain loyal to Academia. For those reasons, the following day he set off on a long walk through one of the business districts of Heartland. His goal was to reach one of the areas where duelists gathered, observe them, and select the most talented one that he saw to send his next challenge to. He made a point to choose a direction opposite to the Garden where he and Yuuri encountered Mizael. 

In short, he did all that he was aware that he could do to avoid the blond Healer. 

Now that he knew what to look for, he saw Healer Cats and Fire Cats with their partners. Once or twice he saw one of them glance in his direction, but it seemed no more than idle curiosity. Certainly they didn’t come over to talk, for which he found himself profoundly grateful. 

None of them seemed to be that Healer Cat that he’d met before. That was even more reason to be grateful. He needed to stay as undercover as he could and the thought of railing at a Cat and demanding that it leave him be wasn’t very undercover. 

Most of the duelists he saw here were children, young ones in their teens. Some of them were very good at what they did, but they weren’t the level of warrior that he was looking for. He stopped to watch a few of them, but always moved onward, searching for those who were beyond good. He wanted great. He wanted amazing. He wanted someone who could be his equal. 

He saw none of them that came to his standards, and eventually wended his way into a small cluster of businesses quite a distance from where he’d started. None of these caught his proper attention – until he stopped and stared at one n particular. 

_A card store._ He hadn’t shopped at a card store in ages. Not since he was a child, before he’d enrolled in Academia. After that, he’d had access to all of the cards Academia had, and had slowly built his deck by purchasing cards from there. It had been so very long since he had actually browsed for cards. He had purchased a D-Gazer and Duel Disk when he’d arrived here, for his ongoing commitment to blend in, but that was different. 

He knew that he didn’t need to. But he stepped inside anyway, curiosity overwhelming his reluctance, and glanced around. 

What he saw first were rows and rows of cards, many that he’d seen before, either from packs he bought himself as a child or ones that he saw in Academia’s records, or seen others playing. There were even a few that he had played himself – seeing Cyber Dragon there was more than a little startling. 

_Not Cyber End Dragon or Cyberdark Dragon,_ he reassured himself. Those were Fusion cards. They would not be here in the XYZ dimension. 

“Welcome to – oh, it’s you.” A voice that he hadn’t expected spoke up. Ryou jerked his attention away from the cards to stare behind the counter where Mizael stood. 

“What are you doing here?” The question fell from his lips without thought. Mizael shrugged. 

“I work here.” His gaze flickered around. “Your Healer’s not with you?” 

“He had to go home for a while. He’ll be back this weekend.” Ryou considered making an excuse and leaving. No, that would be a trifle too suspicious. Healers and Firestarters weren’t bound to go everywhere together, even in the courting stage. He was only here to look at cards and that wasn’t anything other than research. 

Mizael nodded. Then a small smile flickered across his features. “I was hoping to see you regardless. I think I found something that you might like.” 

Ryou’s eyes narrowed briefly. “What do you mean?” He refused to take more than a few steps past the door, not wanting to get any closer to Mizael. He didn’t think Mizael would _do_ anything, but he wasn’t going to take that kind of chance. 

Mizael dug around behind the counter. “I know you use Cyber Dragons and I remembered something I saw in Duel Magazine. So when I came in to work today, I looked for this.” 

He set a card down on the counter, and against his better judgment, Ryou came closer. He stared down at it, eyes growing wider and wider with each moment. 

“Cyber Dragon Nova,” he murmured the words. An XYZ Monster – an XYZ _Cyber Dragon_. He’d never seen anything like that in his life. The monster itself took several bits of other Cyber Dragons – he could identify Cyber End Dragon’s wings and Cyber Laser Dragon’s tail. There were several other pieces that all blended to create this magnificent creature. 

It should have looked like an unholy amalgamation of pieces of his monsters. It didn’t. It was beautiful in its own way, and the longer he stared at it, the more he could feel there was awareness there as well. 

“You can have it if you want it. Free of charge. I’ve never seen anyone else who uses Cyber Dragons, so I don’t think anyone’s going to buy it.” Mizael considered for a few seconds. “Well, there is something that you could do.” 

Ryou’s head snapped up. “What do you mean?” His instincts flared, demanding that he leave, that he not listen to this for another moment. He wasn’t going to cheat on Yuuri. He wanted nothing to do with XYZ monsters. 

But Mizael only smiled at him, a smile that had nothing of deceit or pain to it, or the desire to possess a strong Firestarter. “Have dinner with me. I beat you in a duel once – buying you dinner is the least I can do. It’s not a courting thing. I know you’re already courting Yuuri. I can show you places where you could take him, as well.” 

Ryou mentally worried at the notion. But not for long. 

“When?” That card called to him. He could put it in no other way. He had never seen anything like it before and while he would never, ever use it – he was a Fusion user until the day that he died – but he wanted to _own_ it. If cards had voices, that one whispered in his ear and demanded to stay with him. 

Mizael smiled. “Are you busy tonight? I can pick you up around six?” 

Ryou tried not to let his tension show at that. “Where can I meet you, instead?” 

Mizael didn’t seem bothered at all by that. He named a place, one that Ryou had heard of before. He’d heard good reports about it despite not ever being there himself. 

“All right. I’ll see you tonight.” He glanced down at the card as Mizael pushed it towards him. 

“Keep it. There are other cards you’d probably want to go with it, to truly make an XYZ deck. There was a recent expansion pack released that focused on the Cyber archetype and it had quite a few cards that could be useful there.” Mizael tapped his fingers thoughtfully. “But that was the only one of them I could find.” He gestured to the packs on display. “If you bought some of these you’d probably find them in there.” 

Ryou eyed the packs. He knew that he didn’t want to use XYZ. But he also knew that he needed to keep his cover, and _everyone_ used XYZ here. Seeing XYZ cards with _his_ archetype sparked something deep inside of him. He wasn’t certain right now if it were rage – or curiosity. 

_He won’t need to know. The invasion is coming soon. He’ll either be carded or captured very soon._

He gathered up half a dozen of the packs. “We’ll see,” he said, as noncommittally as he could. It had been a long time since he’d whiled away an afternoon looking at new cards. 

* * *

By the time Yuuri woke the morning after he returned from XYZ, he’d calmed down to a degree that his rage wasn’t setting off all of his flowers. He also had an idea, and as soon as he’d dealt with breakfast and feeding his plants, he settled into his workroom. 

He might have stayed there without speaking to another soul all day if casual footsteps didn’t come from outside, and the outer plants whispered to him who was coming. He pulled himself out of his work in time to answer when Dennis spoke. 

“Do I even want to know what you’re doing?” 

“Making a little something for my future Firestarter,” Yuuri said, brushing his fingers across the scarlet blossoms. “I don’t quite trust him over there by himself all the time. So he won’t be.” 

Dennis wrinkled his nose as he stared. “That’s red salvia, isn’t it?” 

“That it is.” Yuuri caressed it again. It would not be easy to get this to do what he wanted, since salvia was quite the stubborn plant. But he wasn’t a Healer for nothing. “You’re learning plants very well. Do you remember the meaning of this one?” 

Dennis tilted his head, settling down on one of the couches in the nursery as he did. “Not really.” 

Of course he hadn’t. That was too much to expect. But he was neither Healer nor Firestarter and so it couldn’t be expected of him. 

“The meaning depends on the color. But red means _forever mine_.” Yuuri smiled. “I don’t want him to forget and start eyeing someone else.” 

Dennis laughed. “But it would be different if you found someone else, wouldn’t it?” 

In a breath Yuuri stared at him. “What do you mean? He’s the strongest Firestarter that I’ve met. No one else would be worthy of me.” No one else could be as useful as Marufuji would be once they bonded. 

Dennis’s grin fit to split his face as he lounged back, arms spread over the back of the couch. “I was in XYZ too, you know.” 

Of course Yuuri knew that. He’d known for months about Dennis’s spying trip. It wasn’t the same as why Marufuji there there; the Cyber Dragon duelist searched for powerful duelists to card and dispose of before the invasion began. Dennis searched for what was necessary to begin the invasion itself. 

“And?” He bit the word off sharply. He wanted Dennis to get to the point, if that were possible. 

“The Professor wanted me to find a girl. You’d think we had enough of them, but apparently he wants one in particular.” Dennis shrugged. “I did find her, though. And even better for you – I found her brother.” 

Dennis leaned forward, eyes bright and sharp. Very few saw him like this, most believing his jester’s mask. Yuuri knew better. Yuuri had always known better. 

“Her name is Kurosaki Ruri. _His_ is Kurosaki Shun.” 

The name meant nothing to Yuuri. He waited for more and Dennis didn’t fail to deliver. 

“If Marufuji’s a perfect ten, then I’d say Kurosaki is at least a nine and a half.” He waved one hand. “But I think you’d be more interested in him for another reason.” 

Yuuri tapped his foot ever so lightly. He’d already put a lot of work into Marufuji and he wasn’t going to let it slide without a far better reason than he’d been given so far. 

“He has a best friend, named Yuuto. Never caught his family name. But this Yuuto -” Dennis let loose with a predatory smile. “He has different hair and eyes. But he _looks just like you_. And he’s a Healer, too. I think they’re courting one another.” He waved one hand carelessly. “Not that that would matter to you, would it?” 

Yuuri pressed his lips together. He’d never seen anyone who looked like him before. He wasn’t at all certain that he liked the idea, though he wasn’t sure of what to do about it. 

_How dare he have my face?_ He fought to keep his anger under control. The plants all around swayed and waved and wriggled, however, making it very plain that he wasn’t doing a very good job o it. He drew in a breath and shrugged. 

“I’d have to see him for myself to be certain.” Truth to tell, he’d never seen a Firestarter as strong as Marufuji. The thought that such a one could exist intrigued him. “Do you know what kind of a duelist he is?” 

“I haven’t had the chance to talk to either of them. The Professor didn’t want me to get too close.” Dennis shrugged. “But I did see them both dueling. I believe he uses Raid Raptors.” 

That meant next to nothing to Yuuri. He would have to research when the opportunity presented itself. 

Then another point occurred to him and the smile on his face mirrored that of Dennis. “Does this mean the invasion will be starting soon?” Oh, he hoped so. To see the carnage and destruction that would unfold – Yuuri could hardly wait. 

“It could very well be.” Dennis gave an eloquent shrug of his shoulders. “You’d have to ask the Professor about that.” 

Yuuri nodded before he turned his attention back to the flower before him. He needed a sprig of this sealed in crystal; even if he chose to take a different Firestarter, until he made that decision, he wasn’t going to give up on Marufuji. And that meant keeping an eye on him, no matter what. 

There were no better eyes for a Healer than a flower they’d crafted with their own hands. 

* * *

Kei ghosted along through the streets, keeping his attention on Marufuji Ryou. The Firestarter hadn’t noticed him, which wasn’t a surprise. If they’d been bonded already, he would have known. But right now, Kei was more cat than Healer so far as Ryou’s senses would be aware. At least until Kei _wanted_ him to feel his power, as he had the previous night. 

The Healer Cat already knew where Ryou lived. He could have hurried on to beat him there. But he wanted to track the other and ensure that he didn’t take any turns anywhere else. Ryou remained doing things Kei would prefer that he not do, which meant Kei wanted to keep an eye on him. 

Cats watched. It was what they did. 

But this time it appeared that Ryou had nothing more nor less on his mind than going back to the little apartment and curling up with the new cards that he’d purchased. Kei approved. He was a creature of XYZ and the more that Ryou connected to XYZ cards, the better Kei liked it. 

There was another reason he watched, a reason that ghosted along beside of Ryou, and cast sharp, amused glances towards Kei from time to time. Ryou couldn’t see, of course. Perhaps he might one day, but right now he seemed focused only on getting back home. 

Cyber Nova Dragon tendered a curious look now towards their new duelist. They hadn’t been officially added to Ryou’s deck but when that happened, they would be able to interact with the other spirits of it. Kei could feel those spirits all but straining at the barriers between decks and the human world, wanting to know more about Cyber Nova Dragon. 

Probably wanting to know more about him as well. There had never been a Cat born that couldn’t see spirits and spirits all knew that. They knew when someone could see them and when they couldn’t. 

That was one of the reasons Kei knew something was going wrong in the city. There weren’t as many spirits as there had been six months ago, and when he could speak to some of the stray ones, they knew that friends of theirs who were involved with duelists vanished. 

It had all started around the time that Ryou himself came to town. Kei watched him for days before realizing he was the one responsible for it. He still wasn’t certain of why but he would make certain it stopped. He just wasn’t certain of how. 

He settled himself outside of the apartment building and stared up at the window he knew was Ryou’s. He could see a familiar figure moving behind the curtains. He waited until he knew the moment was right, then leaped upwards, claws catching on the balcony, and pulled himself up onto it. He took a few moments to get his fur back in order before he moved forward and nudged at the balcony door. It came open easily; this was a place built for Firestarters and Healers, and several of those had Cats of their own. All of the doors were built so that those of the four footed persuasion could open them. 

The moment he crossed into it, he could feel the presence of something that _other_ Healer, the one from wherever Ryou was from. Not as strong as if he were there himself, but something of his was. Kei sniffed until he spied the flytrap on the table, then strolled over there casually. 

**What do you want, Cat?** The flytrap murmured in that subtle language of leaf and shadow that all plants spoke. Kei spoke back in the tongue of Healers. 

_I could ask you the same thing._

If it had possessed the ability, the flytrap would have drawn itself up and sniffed. **Guarding the one my creator chooses.**

Kei sniffed, tail twitching. _He is my Firestarter as well._

The flytrap wriggled the tiniest bit. Most plants weren’t capable of independent movement but those created and bred by Healers tended to not strictly obey the rules. 

**No! He is Yuuri-sama’s! It is decided!**

Kei’s tail lashed slowly from side to side, claws flexing. _It’s his decision and no one else’s._ But he still knew that Ryou was his Firestarter – it might take time for Ryou to believe that, but he needed a Healer or a Healer Cat. So far as Kei knew or cared, both he and Mizael were far more suitable than anyone else. 

Together they could handle what Ryou would become. He didn’t trust that this “Yuuri” person could. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** So now the invasion looms closer and Ryou has his first XYZ card – which was actually the original plot seed for this. That Ryou found the XYZ Cyber Dragons in Heartland and became intrigued, which led to him meeting Mizael and eventually changing sides. Then I rewrote it all in this AU where things are a little different. 

And yes, Kei is arguing with a plant. Healers and Healer Cats can do that. Firestarters have been known to have long-standing arguments with fire. Don’t even ask about the situation with volcanoes. 

Lastly, now Yuuri knows Shun exists. You may hear my evil cackling from here.


	6. Chapter 6

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Chris Arclight, Yuuri, Ryou, Kei (OC)|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Six|| **Words:** 3,007|| **Total:** 18,207  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.  
[[MORE]]

* * *

_I wish I had a spare D-Gazer._ Kei could have used it to keep in touch with him. As it was, Mizael had to wait for any sort of word that could be passed through the plants. That could take a while. Plants listened and communicated among themselves and Healers and Healer Cats, but getting them to pass a coherent message from one to the other, very quickly, wasn’t the easiest to accomplish. 

So Mizael waited in the Night Garden, nervous. He didn’t _think_ that Marufuji would hurt the Healer Cat. But tracking him down, if he were truly as dangerous as Kei thought he was, put the Cat at a deeper risk. 

_I should have gone._ Mizael couldn’t be as well-hidden as the Healer Cat was but he still wished he had. The more he thought about Marufuji, the more he genuinely wanted to talk to him. 

But it would probably be best if he didn’t. A few hours still remained until their dinner, and that would be the best time to say anything. Perhaps see if he felt more inclined to add XYZ to his deck or to stop doing whatever it was that Kei knew he was doing and Mizael was starting to get an idea of what he was doing. 

He’d learned a few things from the magazines. The problem there was that the magazines didn’t know everything. They’d only told him that a handful of talented duelists, none of them Healers or Firestarters, vanished over the last few weeks. According to Kei, it started when Marufuji came to town from somewhere. 

_Did it start because of him? Or is he trying to find out who did it?_ Mizael couldn’t be sure and he wanted to bring it up to Marufuji. Kei suspected him, saying only that it was a cat’s intuition. Cats were clever creatures by any metric. Mizael wasn’t going to dismiss it out of hand. 

**Something is indeed strange about him and his deck. Not a single XYZ creature in it. You’d think he’d never even heard of it before coming here.** Jinlong observed, settling down on one of the benches near Mizael. 

“Is that possible?” Mizael murmured. It didn’t feel like it should be. He couldn’t quite get his head wrapped around the thought of not knowing what XYZ was. 

**Anything is possible. The question is, is it likely?** Jinlong shrugged, long white braid flicking as he did. **Perhaps. Fusion isn’t an unknown summoning method. But I haven’t seen anyone use it in a very long time.**

Mizael nodded slowly. Jinlong didn’t often speak of what he’d seen in his life and he knew very well that the old dragon counted his years in eons. That brought up another thought – why would such an old style be used? Where could they have come from that knew only that and nothing else? 

He wanted to ask, but as he did, a soft whisper came from the blossoms. He turned towards them, focusing his awareness. They didn’t say something that could be construed as a word, but a sensation – Kei had entered Marufuji’s apartment. 

Kei wasn’t supposed to get Marufuji’s attention, only to watch him and see what he did when he was alone. Granted, right now was probably the safest time to do so, since he would more than likely spend it opening his new packs. A Cat could keep itself concealed very easily so going in there wasn’t _wrong_. But it made Mizael nervous regardless. 

He tried his best to keep himself calm, taking another turn around the Garden. The Night Garden looked at the best at the night, but it was lovely during the day as well. There were a few places that Firestarters liked to frequent and he wandered that way now. Jinlong paced him, shifting easily back between his dragon and human forms. 

**You must trust the Cat, Mizael. His instincts are very good.**

Mizael nodded. He seldom spoke aloud when it was just him and Jinlong, unless they were in his own apartment. He didn’t want anyone thinking he wasn’t entirely there. He could protect himself, and Healers were allowed a certain amount of oddity regardless. But he did have a business to run, and other people staring at him irritated him. 

Jinlong glanced ahead and Mizael’s gaze followed his, sensing the presence of a powerful Healer – and one that was bonded. The faint flicker of tension in his shoulders eased when he became aware of that. He relaxed even more when he saw who it was. 

“Christopher,” he acknowledged. The older duelist strolled forward, returning Mizael’s nod, silver hair flashing in the afternoon sunlight. 

“Mizael. How have you been?” Christopher Arclight, one of the most powerful and highest ranking Healers in Heartland, had every flower in the Garden leaning towards him, murmuring whispers of welcome in the soft language of leaf and light. 

Mizael shrugged. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to let anyone else know about what was going on with Marufuji just yet. He didn’t even know everything that was going on. 

“Nothing much. What about you?” 

“The same.” Christopher settled down on one of the benches, a vine from a nearby tree winding around his shoulders. “Have you had any interesting duels lately?” 

Sometimes Mizael wondered exactly what Chris knew or didn’t know. He had a habit of not telling everything that was on his mind. That annoyed Mizael far more than he would have ever allowed Chris to know. 

“One,” he admitted. He considered before continuing. “And I should have one this weekend as well.” 

Chris raised one silver eyebrow. “Oh?” That single word invited Mizael to tell everything else that might have been on his mind. Mizael shrugged. 

“A couple of strange duelists. They use that old summoning method, Fusion. Not XYZ.” His lips twitched. “Though I’m trying to get one of them to change that.” 

“Teaching someone XYZ? I thought that was my job,” Chris teased, eyes glistening in amusement. He was indeed a very fine dueling teacher; he’d taught Kaito and others. He even worked as a part time instructor at various duel schools, never committing to one of them, but moving through the ones in Heartland. 

Mizael shrugged. “I found him first? Besides, he’s a little older than most of your students.” He settled down onto one of the other benches. The flowers and trees didn’t respond as strongly to him as they did to Christopher but they did wind towards him. Day or night, plants knew a Healer. “I’m having dinner with him tonight – and he’s a Firestarter.” 

Again Chris’s eyebrow twitched upward. “Oh?” Amusement rippled all through his voice. “Are you finally courting someone?” 

Mizael’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “He’s already courting a Healer. I met him here yesterday.” Mizael tapped the sunflower blossom nearest him. “You can ask what they think of him.” 

Chris glanced towards the vine that wound over his shoulders, eyes taking on the distant expression of a Healer communicating with the foliage. When he refocused, he turned towards Mizael. 

“The plants here don’t like him.” 

That wasn’t usual. Plants normally liked every Healer, even if humans didn’t. Mizael focused his attention on the sunflower. 

_The Healer that was here with me yesterday. Do you remember him?_ **The one from distant lands? The one whose heart is cast in shadow?**

That wasn’t something he’d heard before. _The one who watched while I dueled his to-be Firestarter._ He did not use those words; plants didn’t understand words as humans or Cats did. Instead, he recalled what Yuuri and Ryou looked like and the sunflower bobbed slowly. 

**Yes. Him. The other Healer is correct. We do not like him. We will not like him.**

All of the plants that Mizael could see twitched and shivered in a wind that wasn’t there. He could hear the whispers rising up from all of them now. 

**Healer.**

**Tainted.**

**Wrong.**

Different words from different plants. Mizael’s eyes met Chris’s in worry, even more so as another word rose up from the depths of the Garden, the oldest and wisest of the plants, that had grown there since the Garden had first been planted ages ago. 

**_Dark_**. 

* * *

Yuuri carefully nipped at one edge of the scarlet blossoms, taking a few moments to examine it. Exactly what he wanted – all he needed to do now was seal it into glass and hang it from a chain. Then it would be gifted to Marufuji. Then it would watch and he wouldn’t worry at all about his future Firestarter’s fidelity. 

And if he had the chance, he would feed both that too pretty blond Healer and that pesky Cat to one of his flytraps. They needed good strong meat and he’d always rather enjoyed feeding Healers to his plants. The Healers always screamed so sweetly. 

The plants tended to find them extra tasty as well. But his plants were special, just like he was. 

Finished with the red salvia for the moment, he let it rest, and wandered along his garden paths deep in thought. He hadn’t yet received any information from the Professor about what to do, but he didn’t really need it. He had his own plans. 

Deep in the center of his garden, he slipped a small square of paper out of his inner pocket and regarded it carefully. Pulsating veins crisscrossed it and he could sense all the power of the souls locked within. 

_I should go get a few more for this._

Tempting as it was, he wasn’t going to try to seal that blond Healer into it, and he didn’t dare take the risk of doing so with a Cat. He’d only taken the souls of duelists and Cats seemed to be too different, even if they could wield the power that he did. 

But there were plenty of other places where he could locate duelists who he could defeat and set into this. He considered for a few moments before he tapped at the controls on his duel disk. Dimension jumping was only meant for serious business. It wasn't to be used for pleasure jaunts. 

That was what the Professor and the scientists who’d created the technology to do so kept telling them. Yuuri didn’t care that what he considered serious business they wouldn’t. The fact he also took a deep and satisfying pleasure in what he did didn’t matter, not to him. 

He appeared in the Synchro dimension, in a small town far from the central area of the City, out in the country. He’d never been here before, but he’d studied the co ordinates and the information that their spies brought back. This place was so out of the way that there were perhaps half a dozen actual duelists in a town that consisted of a scant thousand. “Town” wasn’t even the right word, in his opinion. Village would probably work better. 

Or in terms of more accuracy, a playground. A playground for him. 

He strolled through the streets casually, keeping an eye out for one of those duelists. They weren’t scheduled to invade here for a long time yet, not until after they’d squashed the entire XYZ dimension under their boots. That would take a long time; each world contained millions, if not billions, of people. 

So many to defeat in duels. So many to card. Perhaps even a few to – pay with. 

He’d not forgotten the news that Dennis brought him, not for a moment. For the longest time he’d yearned for _someone_ he could – entertain himself with. He’d wavered on if it would be his future Firestarter or not. He needed, wanted, someone that he could break, but not someone who would break easily. 

Someone whose torment would entertain him. Someone whose screams could echo for ages – and he could ensure that, at least. He might not be the best when it came to the physical aspects of Healing but he knew more than enough to ensure that any captive he chose stayed alive for a very long time. 

The idea of taking someone who belonged to a counterpart of his remained quite a juicy tidbit as well. How close _were_ they? So many questions that remained unanswered. 

He would answer some of them soon enough. For now though, he had another goal. 

There: a target. A young man some years older than he was, fiddling with a duel disk. Good; Yuuri wasn’t fond of the dueling on motorcycles that he’d seen them do here. That was why he’d chosen this particular town. No one here had a D-Wheel. It was all the old-fashioned style here. 

His lips cracked into a beaming smile that dripped the need to cause someone else pain. He strolled over. 

“Hello there. I’m new in town.” His smile glowed even brighter. “Would you care for a duel?” 

* * *

Ryou tried not to think _too_ hard about the cards that rested in his pocket. He had enough to think about right now, what with the dinner with Mizael looming. But the cards, and that one single one, Cyber Nova Dragon, seemed to burn inside of him as no fire ever had. 

**Firestarter.** The fire that he’d lit in his fireplace hummed at him as he prepared his afternoon tea. **Firestarter.**

Ryou held back a sigh. That could only mean there was trouble of some kind. He’d heard a few faint noises but chalked them up to the wind – more because he didn’t want to think about what else they could be. 

They probably weren’t the wind. 

**Healer Cat and Healer’s Plant arguing.**

Fire didn’t always laugh. The fire laughed now. Ryou sighed again and finished making his tea before he turned around and entered his tiny living room. The moment that he turned he could see it. The cat, lean and sleek and as black as midnight, sat in front of the table and glared at the flytrap Yuuri had left on it. 

“What are you doing here?” Ryou asked, coming over to his chair. “I didn’t invite you in.” 

“I’m a Cat. I don’t need an invitation. You’re my Firestarter. I very much don’t need an invitation.” The Cat said calmly, not taking his eyes off of the flytrap. His tail twitched lazily. “My name is Kei. Do you accept that I’m real now?” 

“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” Ryou took a sip of his tea. “You 

still didn’t tell me what you’re doing here.” 

“There are many answers to that.” Slowly the Cat – Kei – turned to regard him with deep gray eyes. “But why don’t you tell me why _you’re_ here?” 

Ryou tensed. “Why do you ask?” Did this Cat know where he was from? Was he relaying this to someone else somehow? He watched his words. 

“Because you’re my Firestarter.” Kei regarded him. “You need balance. You’re out of it very badly.” 

At once Ryou shook his head. “I have Yuuri.” Bonding to Yuuri would balance out his flames. They were of equal strength. That was what Healers and Firestarters did for one another. 

“No, you don’t. He’s not the right one for you.” Kei did not move. “I am. One of two, at least.” 

Ryou did not need to ask who the other one was. But he shook his head. “I’m not going to _cheat_.” 

“Why are you two courting one another?” Kei asked. “Because you do not like one another. You do not respect one another. You are both powerful but there is more to that for a true bond – and you know that.” 

He wanted to deny that, but the words struck deep inside of his heart. He pressed his lips together and shook his head. 

“Why does it matter to you?” 

“As I said. You're my Firestarter. Kei slowly got up and walked over to Ryou, those intense eyes never blinking. “I want what is best for you – and who is best for you. That isn’t him. I don’t think he’s the best for anyone.” 

Ryou’s shoulders tightened. “Yuuri’s my Healer, even if we’re not bonded yet. And we will be soon.” It all depended on how soon the war ended, and it hadn’t even begun yet. 

The noise Kei made could best be described as not convinced. His tail twitched for a few seconds. “We’ll see about that.” 

“You can’t stay here. I’m not yours.” Ryou wondered what Yuuri would do if he saw that there was not only a Healer Cat in there – one Ryou had been warned away from – but those XYZ cards. The cards could be excused – they were there for research purposes and minor interest only, not because Ryou was going to use them. But the Cat? The Cat whose power was so clearly visible to Ryou’s Firestarter eyes? 

Oh, no. Yuuri was jealous and selfish. Ryou knew that very well. It would not be allowed. 

“I disagree. But I won’t stay – you’ll see me again later, but I won’t stay tonight.” Kei chuckled. “You’re not properly set up for me here yet.” 

Ryou's first instinct was just to say that there wasn’t any way that he was going to ever be ready for Kei. He sealed his lips though and shook his head harder. He wanted the Cat gone but the words refused to come to his lips. 

Finally he closed his eyes for a few seconds, listening to the whisper of the flame, and found other words. 

“Why do you want to be with me? I won’t be here much longer. And I can’t take you with me.” 

Kei’s head brushed against Ryou’s hand. “Because you are mine. Every Cat knows their partner when we see them. You are a powerful Firestarter – more so than you know.” He said nothing for a few minutes. Ryou was about to ask something else, but the words faded as Kei continued. He paled with each extra word he heard. “And you will need me because you may become a Frostflame – and you are not ready for that.” 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Yuuri is off being a very bad boy. He had to make Super Fusion somehow, didn’t he? It’s not like you get that card in a booster pack.


	7. Chapter 7

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Chris Arclight, Ryou, Kei (OC)|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Seven|| **Words:** 3,030|| **Total:** 21,237  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

“Dark Healer?” Mizael hadn’t ever heard about that before. He shook his head, looking to Chris, expecting to see him as baffled. Instead, the older Healer looked more thoughtful. “Well?” 

“I’ll have to do some research,” Chris said at last. He patted one of the blooms near him as he rose up. “But I’ll be in touch. Do you know when you might see that Healer again?” 

“This weekend. We’re supposed to duel.” Mizael wondered now if Yuuri would even show up. He _felt_ like a strong, true duelist, regardless of how cruel he might be. Being cruel wasn’t unknown in duelists. Some of the best ones were ruthless on the battlefield. 

Chris nodded. “I’ll see if I can get back to you before then.” With a flick of his fingers in dismissal, he headed away. Mizael had seldom seen him this sunk in thought. 

_Dark Healer._ It didn’t feel right at all. To think of that Yuuri as one did, but the concept itself sent chills all through him. He glanced back at the flowers, but didn’t ask. He wasn’t sure if they’d be able to tell him anything else. 

A check of the time told him it would be best if he started to get ready for his dinner. Perhaps he would be able to ask Marufuji something about it – or Kei. Kei might know; Cats kept secrets behind their teeth often. 

* * *

“Frostflame?” Ryou shook his head. “What are you talking about?” He knew the name. He knew what it meant. But the very idea was unthinkable. Those in Academia weren’t allowed to be Frostflames. 

His power turning inward, transforming from the blazing cleansing flames to frozen ice? No. He would never, could never let that happen. 

“Exactly. Only those who are of the highest strength can survive the process. I believe that you could.” Kei nodded. “And it might happen.” 

Again Ryou shook his head. “No. I’m a Firestarter. I’m not going to do that.” He would be more willing to entertain the notion of adding XYZ to his deck than to be a Frostflame. 

He focused on that instead, pulling the card packs from his pocket and setting them down on the table. Kei eyed them in amusement. 

“Did you know that there are some D-Gazers and Duel Disks built for Cats? They’re rare but you could buy them.” 

Ryou tensed. “I’m not going to.” He wasn’t sure of how often he needed to say that he wasn’t going to do anything for this Cat. 

He opened one of the packs and flipped through the cards. Nothing Cyber Dragon related there – for which he found himself profoundly grateful. That wasn’t what he needed right now. 

Also on the table rested Cyber Dragon Nova. Kei nudged it with his nose. “Nova likes you already,” the Cat observed. “He would like to be in your deck.” 

“I’m a Fusion duelist, not XYZ,” Ryou snapped the words off. “XYZ is my enemy!” 

Kei regarded him once more. “And why do you say that?” 

Ryou tensed again. _I didn’t mean to say that!_ What was it about this creature that made him want to open his heart up completely? To tell him things that he’d never even thought of, let alone told anyone else? 

That sort of trust and bond was only supposed to exist between Healers and Firestarters. This might be a Healer _Cat_ but he wasn’t Ryou’s Healer, not at all! 

“Because it’s true,” he said at last. He wasn’t going to deny it. What could a Cat do, anyway? He wasn’t going to change his mind and he could leave for home if he needed to. “I’m only here for a short time.” 

“And you intended to turn more of our duelists into cards,” Kei observed. “So that is why.” 

Cats clearly weren’t stupid. He’d have to watch that – more so than he’d been. He regarded his cards again and started to sort through them, and told himself that it wasn’t because he didn’t want to see those gleaming gray eyes staring back at him. Why did the Cat have Shou’s eyes? Eyes that cut into him and made him wonder why he did his duty? 

“I told you before. That’s going to stop. You don’t want to do this.” 

Ryou ground his teeth together. “I don’t have to listen to you. I’m a warrior of Fusion.” 

“You are a Firestarter. I am your Healer Cat.” Kei pointed out. Ryou stared harder at the next set of cards. This one held Cyber Dragon Drei – he could see where that would be useful in an XYZ deck. He set that one aside and looked through the next. 

If Kei said anything else, Ryou made a point to ignore it, keeping all of his attention on the cards instead. They made more sense. They didn’t tell him things that he didn’t want to hear. 

Then the Cat nudged him again. “It’s almost time for you to meet Mizael. You should get ready.” 

Ryou’s eyes darted to the clock. The Cat was right; he had roughly an hour to get ready. That would be more than enough time. Then he jerked his gaze back down to Kei. 

“How did you know about that?” Kei hadn’t been there when he and Mizael arranged that dinner. So far as he was aware, Kei hadn’t ever met Mizael. 

Though what the Cat did when he wasn’t around Ryou, Ryou had no way to know. For all he was aware, the Cat lived with Mizael. 

Kei only chuckled, eyes sliding away. “I have my methods. But does it matter?” 

It probably didn’t. Not right now, at least. Ryou hurried off to get ready, hoping the Cat wouldn’t be there when he came back. 

* * *

Kei shot another glance at the flytrap on the table as Ryou departed. It could not look innocent but if it had possessed a face, then it most certainly would have done its best. His tail lashed a trifle. He wasn’t going to destroy it. The flytrap was what it had been grown to be, through no fault of its own. 

But that didn’t mean he had to like it. This flytrap would relay to its creator his visit. Whether it revealed Ryou going to dinner with Mizael he couldn’t be sure of. Nor could he be sure of Yuuri’s reaction. He didn’t know the Dark Healer, after all. 

Nor did he especially want to. From the moment that he’d set eyes on the other, he’d wanted nothing more nor less than to ensure Ryou never went near him again. Normally he didn’t care which other Healers his Firestarter associated with. He trusted Ryou to know his own mind, even this early in their relationship – the one that Ryou insisted didn’t exist. 

He would learn. He would not be able to stop himself from learning. The bond hadn’t truly begun yet – that did need Ryou’s agreement, and Kei wouldn’t accept it if Ryou didn’t choose to do so freely. But he knew it would happen. Ryou felt it like he did, no matter how hard he denied it. 

For now, though, he leaped up into Ryou’s chair, curled himself into a ball, and slipped into a quick catnap. The next step was all up to Mizael. 

* * *

Mizael stood outside the restaurant. He’d tucked his D-Gazer and Duel Disk into his pocket, just in case Marufuji wanted another duel. He remained more interested in the dinner and potential conversation than dueling, at least right away, but he liked to be prepared for anything. 

A tingle swept over him and he looked up to see Marufuji Ryou approaching. The other wore a casual outfit in dark blue, darker even than his own hair, that made Mizael’s heart skip a beat or two. He’d seen plenty of people who were attractive. Marufuji Ryou seemed in a class by himself. 

“Hello,” he said, forcing the word between his lips. What he wanted to say was _how in the world did Marufuji turn so attractive_! It shouldn’t have been possible by any reasonable metric and yet there he stood, elegant and amazing. 

_He’s courting for a Firestarter. I wonder if he’s -_ He tried to wrench his mind away from the intruding thought as Marufuji drew closer. He didn’t even know if Marufuji would be attracted to him. 

But he knew that _he_ was attracted to _him_. He’d always known where his choices resided, for as long as he could remember. He considered himself lucky in that aspect. 

“Hello,” Marufuji replied with a polite tilt of his head. His gaze flicked away from Mizael for a few moments, as if searching for something or someone, then returned. 

Mizael dragged his mind to focus on the matter at hand. “I made us a reservation Let’s go in,” he said, turning towards the door. Marufuji fell into place next to him, still giving little darting looks everywhere. “Is something wrong?” 

Marufuji regarded him. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that it’s wrong.” He considered for another few moments, then shook his head. “It’s nothing to worry about.” 

Mizael wasn’t quite certain if he believed him, but he wasn’t going to push it hard. It was probably something to do with Kei. The Cat had entered Marufuji’s home and it wouldn’t be a great stretch to think they’d spoken. Marufuji probably wasn’t one to spill what he’d consider secrets. 

Their restaurant, the Silver Wind, catered almost exclusive to Healers and Firestarters. It boasted a great deal of both traditional and modern food and drink, at a reasonable price, and the atmosphere encouraged relaxation, with clear lighting and dozens of small tables scattered throughout the dining area. It worked well for courting of every type and getting a reservation, especially on short notice, was worth the cost. 

Though Mizael reminded himself consistently that he wasn’t poaching and this had nothing to do with courting. Considering it as a _romantic_ venue wasn’t so bad, of course, even without knowing what Marufuji’s tastes were like. A hint of friendship and mutual duelist respect certainly helped. Though the thought of what it might be like to have such a strong Firestarter appealed to him in ways that he tried his very best not to think about too much. 

Marufuji ordered yakiniku with grilled vegetables, and Mizael ordered shiitake yakitori. He’d always rather enjoyed the taste of meat and mushrooms grilled together, especially the way that they served it here. 

It took a short time for their food to be brought to them and in that time, Marufuji watched the room around them. There was a sense of caution there, as well as absolute fascination. As if he’d never taken the time to watch other people in a long time. 

“So what was it like back in your hometown?” Mizael asked. “I’ve lived in Heartland my entire life.” He shrugged; it was a nice enough place, but when one had known it all their days, one often wondered what the rest of the world was like. Someday he would find a way to see it all. 

Marufuji glanced back at him. “I don’t remember munch. I left Shinokawa when I was about eleven years old to enroll at – school.” If Mizael hadn’t been paying attention, he thought he might have missed that little breath of a pause. 

“Oh? I studied at Diamond School myself. Graduated about two years ago and I’ve been working at the card store ever since.” He wrinkled his nose. “Going pro never interested me. They’re not enough of a challenge.” 

“I graduated two years ago as well,” Marufuji said, his eyes lightening a little. “I’ve had – odd jobs since then. But being a professional duelist wasn’t ever my goal, either.” 

Mizael nodded. He couldn’t see how this man would ever be happy in that sort of situation. He thought he could do it – Marufuji had the necessary ruthlessness of temperament one needed to succeed – but certain other aspects of it, such as needing to please one’s sponsors consistently? The way the crowds could quickly turn on one at the first sign of weakness? Those points he couldn't be sure of, not with how little he knew him. 

“Did you go to Clover or Spade?” He didn’t ask about Heart School. He’d never known anyone who attended Heart. It was rumored to be for the beyond elite – for duelists who had no peer in this world. He wasn’t sure of how true that was, but those were the rumors that he’d heard. 

“Neither one. It’s one of those small schools. You’d likely not have heard of it.” Again he shrugged. “What’s it like living here all the time?” 

A place so out of the way that they’d never heard of it, along with the inhabitants not having used XYZ or having heard of Healer Cats. Mizael wondered exactly where it really was. Shinokawa – he would have to look it up. 

“I imagine it’s like growing up anywhere else. I’m used to it.” Mizael tapped his fingers on the table in thought. “I can introduce you to some of my friends if you like. Kaito’s almost as good as I am at dueling.” His lips twitched. “He plays a dragon deck as well. We argued all the time when we were kids about who was the true dragon master.” 

One sapphire-blue eyebrow quirked up. “Oh? Did you ever decide who it was?” 

Mizael smirked. “I am, of course. It took a long time before it got into his head, though.” He leaned back in his chair, thinking. “There’s also Christopher Arclight. He has a professional duelist for a brother and he’s one of the best teachers I know. He could give you a few pointers if you’re looking to incorporate XYZ into your deck.” 

Marufuji turned his head away. “That I won’t do.” 

“Did you find anything interesting in those packs?” Mizael wasn’t going to push. He didn’t see any spirits around Marufuji at the moment, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t one. Sometimes they chose to stay hidden and even he couldn’t change that. 

“One or two,” Marufuji answered, resting a hand on the table. Mizael subtly admired it; long fingers, quite strong, with a few tiny scars here and there. When he turned his hand over, Mizael caught his breath at the sight of a long pale scar right over the palm. 

Before he could restrain the words, he blurted out, “What happened?” He almost reached for it, but Marufuji pulled his hand back and turned away so Mizael couldn’t see the scar. 

“An accident when I was young. It taught me several lessons.” His lips moved into an expression that wasn’t entirely a smile but came very close to being one. 

Mizael stared relentlessly at him. He wanted to know what it was; what lesson could possibly have resulted in such a scar? He knew that he couldn’t force Marufuji to tell him, but perhaps – perhaps - 

“I was seven,” Marufuji said at last thoughtfully. “I attended a – very remote school in the mountains, before the one I later went to. I had to climb to get there. There were thorns in the path along the way and I knew I shouldn’t have put my hand in them. But I did it anyway.” His lips thinned in an expression not quite amusement. “My parents told me that I Sparked before I could walk. I don’t remember not being a Firestarter. I thought I could just burn through anything. But those thorns – they were bred specifically to protect the school. They’re resistant to as many things as the Healers could make them - including fire.” 

He closed his hand around the scar. “I think I was luckier than I can imagine.” 

“They didn’t have any Healers there?” Mizael wondered. His own Healer instincts itched to heal that scar away entirely. He wasn’t sure if he could, but he wanted to. 

Marufuji chuckled a little. “This scar is what was left after the Healers fixed the wound. It was the best that they could do.” 

That told Mizael exactly how deep the original wound had been. Even a low powered Healer could heal a simple thorn scratch. But without a Healer’s power, Marufuji might not have ever been able to use the hand again. That would have been a terrible fate for someone as talented in dueling as he was. 

The server brought their food and for several minutes nothing else was spoken of between them as they enjoyed the meal. Mizael savored every bit of it, including the cool green tea he’d ordered, and cast about for something else they could talk about. He wanted to ask if this could be considered a non-courting date – a romantic date – but the words refused to slide through his lips. 

_I wasn’t this nervous when I asked Kaito out!_ But there’d been no need to be nervous then. He and Kaito knew one another almost from the cradle. They knew everything about one another and they’d dueled each other more times than he could count before they’d even started at their respective schools. Diamond School and Clover School weren’t the kind of rivals that Clover and Spade were, but they did duel against one another now and then and Kaito and Mizael were the ones who did so most often. 

Maybe he should get Kaito over here and introduce them. He already wondered what Chris would have to say to him. 

“What sort of deck does Yuuri use?” He asked, recalling that he would be having a couple of duels against him in just a short time. 

Marufuji shook his head. “He’d never want me to tell you that.” But he did seem amused as well. “But he’s even better than I am. You won’t defeat him very easily.” 

All that did was make Mizael even more eager to duel Yuuri. He toyed with checking the cards he had in the shop and seeing if he had anything in particular to negate Fusion decks. The thought was tempting, indeed, but he suspected it would be more interesting to see what Yuuri’s full potential really was. 

* * *

**Notes:** Yakinaku is thin sliced grilled beef. Firestarters have high energy needs and tend to eat a lot of meat.


	8. Chapter 8

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
**Characters:** Yuuri, Akaba Leo, Ryou, Mizael|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
**Chapter:** Eight|| **Words:** 3,029|| **Total:** 24,266  
**Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
**Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
**Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
**Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
**Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Yuuri yawned; he wasn’t sure if it was from boredom or actual weariness. It _was_ past sunset and he’d put in a very pleasant afternoon dueling as many people as he could. He darted across the dimensions, choosing places far away from where he knew the Professor’s focus remained. If the old man knew what he was doing, he could at least ensure that what he did didn’t interfere in the Professor’s war plans. 

He would have all the time he wanted to do this publicly when the war got started. The idea of chasing down his victims, having them shriek in pain and terror – oh, he _wanted_ that! 

But for now, he admired the results of his work. A small pile of torn up cards that had once been people, with all of their life force now in his own precious card to be. He ran a finger down the pulsing face of it. 

_How long until you’re done? How long until I can use you?_

There wasn’t an answer to that. The card only pulsed silently. Yuuri could feel every scrap of life that he’d put in there. Not enough, not nearly enough, not yet. 

Maybe once the war started and he could start putting the souls of _real_ duelists in there, those who could survive the chaos of war even if for a short time, it would go faster. 

_I wonder if I could put that Healer into this._ What an interesting thought. He knew that the blond Healer would be desired by the Professor for his talent of Healing and his skills as a duelist. That gave the not-quite-poaching Healer a bit of protection from Yuuri. 

How annoying. But nothing had been _formally_ stated about _this_ Healer. That meant he could be eliminated and simply claim that he hadn’t known any better. The Professor might scold him but it would be worth it. 

_If he’s sniffing around Marufuji..._ That annoyed him just to think about. But it spurred him to head back to Fusion and start to plan his next visit to XYZ. 

He checked his messages as soon as he entered his room. As always when Yuuri was happy about something, the plants in his room wriggled and danced in pleasure, wriggling their leaves and whispering in that silent language. Something had pleased their master and that pleased them in return. 

“At last,” he murmured. “At last.” 

There on the screen of his PDA pulsed the message from the Professor. 

**In two days, at high noon, our glorious forces will enter the XYZ dimension and begin the process of conquest.**

Below that came a list of the battalions and forces that would form the first wave. Yuuri wasn’t listed, but there was a second message just for him, requesting his presence in the Professor’s throne room as soon as possible. 

It was late, but Yuuri headed there regardless. He _had_ been told as soon as possible, after all. 

The guards outside of the room allowed him in without a moment’s hesitation. On the other side, everything remained quiet and calm. Only Professor Akaba Leo remained on his throne. No signs of the scientists and teachers who usually attended him. Though they weren’t always there when Yuuri showed up. 

He wondered at times if they avoided him out of fear. What a lovely thought. 

“You called for me, Professor?” Yuuri asked, nodding at the leader of the Fusion dimension. He wasn’t exactly sure how far the Professor’s authority really extended, but here at Academia Island, it was absolute. 

“Yes, Yuuri.” The Professor greeted him. “I assume that you saw the message that the invasion begins this weekend?” 

“Of course.” Yuuri bared his teeth. “I look forward to it.” 

“I don’t doubt that you do,” Akaba Leo agreed. “I have a very special task for you.” He gestured and an image of a girl appeared before him. “This is Kurosaki Ruri. She lives in the XYZ dimension. I want you to bring her to me – unharmed. And not carded. Duel her if you must to get her to come along, but other than that, not a hair on her head touched.” 

Yuuri regarded her thoughtfully. _Kurosaki._ He recalled what Dennis had told him. She was the one who had the brother that he might be interested in. This would give him a good chance to check them both out. 

“Of course, sir,” Yuuri agreed. The Professor regarded him carefully. 

“She’s also a Firestarter. I presume that your courting of Marufuji is going well?” 

The faintest flicker of annoyance twitched across Yuuri’s features. “For the most part. I visited him in XYZ earlier, when I found out about those Cats. There’s also that Healer I mentioned, the one who is also a reasonably talented duelist.” His lips curved quickly. “But I intend to duel him this weekend.” 

Akaba almost smiled himself. “As I told you - recruit him for us, if he’s good enough. Or at least bring him back here so we can do the recruiting.” 

Yuuri knew very well how the Academia could recruit people. Memories being tweaked and twisted and rewritten – memories were what gave one their values, after all. Take those memories away and change them, and those values were changed. He didn’t especially approve of that method. He far preferred the process of pain. So much more enticing. 

“As you wish,” was all that Yuuri said out loud. He considered briefly before continuing. “Dennis has already told me about the Kurosakis. Her brother might be of interest to me.” 

The Professor raised one eyebrow. “You’re already courting Marufuji. There’s no one else but you who could partner him. And vice versa. 

“I’m aware of that, Professor,” Yuuri smiled his sweetest smile. “But I could have other uses for him. Not just as a Firestarter.” 

“I see.” The Professor shrugged. “If you wish. When do you think you and Marufuji will be bonded?” 

“After the war,” Yuuri told him. “Perhaps it could even be a celebration for a successful conquest.” 

The Professor nodded. “I look forward to it. Bonding is a special event for all Healers and Firestarters.” 

“Of course.” Yuuri turned and strolled out, smug smirk firmly in place. Everything continued to go his way. 

* * *

_I’m enjoying myself._ Ryou hadn’t quite thought he would. He’d imagined it would be a not-horrible experience at best. But he hadn’t ever thought that he would genuinely enjoy himself. 

It wasn’t just the good food. It was the simple fact that the more time he spent around Mizael, the more he liked being around him. If he didn’t have to keep that tiny part of himself eternally aware so he didn’t slip and admit his true history and his purpose in being in this world – it would have been even better. 

As it was, he could let himself forget, if only for a little while. He could let himself think this was just an ordinary dinner, the kind that could happen between any two duelists. 

Or any two people who might possibly have an interest in one another. Ryou hadn’t been very inclined to dating. It wasn’t always encouraged at Academia, at least not during one’s education years. After graduation, it wasn’t quite so looked down upon. There were exceptions – Fubuki, during his tenure there, had definitely gone out on dates even when he wasn’t supposed to. 

Exactly how he’d gotten away with that baffled Ryou to do this day. Sometimes Fubuki had been called into meetings with teachers. He left those meetings as cheerfully as he entered them, and never spoke of detention or extra work or _anything_. 

Sometimes Ryou wished that Fubuki were still around, just to ask him a few things. Especially tonight. Especially when he caught a glimpse of Mizael’s eyes. 

Mizael’s eyes were blue, a beautiful shade that could not be compared to anything else Ryou could think of. Better than blue, there was a warmth in them, a flame that burned brighter than any Firestarter that Ryou knew, up to and including himself. He found himself wanting to spend more and more time just gazing into those eyes – a desire that he’d never had for anyone else as far back as he could recall. 

_He’d probably say that I should ask him on a actual date, just to be sure._ Which wasn’t an inherently bad idea – if it weren’t for the simple fact that the invasion would be soon. He didn’t dare make any actual bonds in this place. It wouldn’t exist for much longer and anyone he knew here would quickly find out that he helped in its downfall. 

“So you’re going to watch me duel your future Healer this weekend?” Mizael asked as the two of them headed out of the restaurant. Ryou nodded. 

“Yuuri likes having people watch him. Especially me or Dennis.” 

Mizael raised an eyebrow. “Dennis?” 

“His best friend.” Ryou found himself once more ready to watch his words with care. “They’ve known each other for a long time.” 

“Is he-” Mizael left it hanging, but Ryou figured out what the rest of the question was. He shook his head. 

“Neither one. Yuuri doesn’t get along with most other Healers. The words fell out easily. As if he trusted Mizael. He didn’t think about it too hard right now. “I’ve never gotten along with most Firestarters either.” 

He really hadn’t. It had been different when he was younger. But as he got older and they all realized that he outstripped them not just in dueling but in the use of his talent – almost all of the friends he’d made simply faded away, never to be seen again. For years Fubuki, Asuka, and Shou had been all that he had, with potentially Edo as well. But after he graduated, he wasn’t close enough to talk to Asuka and Shou every day, and Fubuki vanished years earlier. 

The way that other Firestarters and even some Healers glanced at him, with tiny bits of fear in their eyes – he’d heard rumors that there wasn’t any Healer strong enough to be his partner. That his flames would overrun him sooner or later. No one had ever dared to whisper _Frostflame_ around him. But even though they’d never said it, he knew that they thought it. The ultimate sad fate of those who could not bond – their flames turned in on themselves and became ice. 

He’d heard it from that Cat already. He wasn’t going to hear it again. It wasn’t going to happen. He’d bond to Yuuri and then all of those whispers and rumors would flat out die. 

All of that passed through his mind in a single breath. Mizael eyed him quietly. 

“A lot of Healers think I’m weird because I prefer the Night Garden,” he said at last. “But some of the flowers there are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.” 

Ryou nodded. He glanced ahead. “We’re almost there, aren’t we? The Night Garden.” 

Mizael laughed when he glanced forward. “I hadn’t even thought about it. But care for a walk?” 

Ryou had no objections. He would stay out as long as he could tonight and maybe by the time that he got back home, that Cat would have decided to leave. In truth, he couldn’t be so certain, but he hoped. 

“It is beautiful,” he said as they passed through the Night Garden's gates. He considered before he said what came next. “Even more so than Yuuri’s.” That wasn’t a lie either. Yuuri wouldn’t have liked hearing it, but it was true. 

“Oh? What are his gardens like?” Mizael wondered with an air of professional curiosity. 

Ryou’s lips twitched. “Poisons. Lots of lots of poisonous plants. Usually the very beautiful ones. Oleander. Azalea.” He remembered Yuuri escorting him all around the garden, pointing out all of the beautifies of it and how poisonous they were. “Hemlock. Lilies of the valley. Wisteria.” 

Mizael nodded. “I know some Healers who grow those too.” His eyes flicked ahead, then he reached to carefully break off a tiny bit of a vine. Ryou didn’t see which one it was, until Mizael closed his hand over it and concentrated. He’d seen this before – a Healer exerting their power on plants. 

What he broke off grew into a slender vine, with pale violet flowers hanging from it. The Night Garden’s lights were more than enough for him to recognize what it was – wisteria. 

Mizael regarded it thoughtfully. “Wisteria’s not a very deadly poison. But it is very beautiful. 

“I know,” Ryou said, trying hard not to feel that vague pulse of warmth that came from deep within. IT wasn’t anything to do with being a Firestarter. But it had everything to do with the way that Mizael smiled at him. 

“It’s part of your name, isn’t it?” Mizael asked. Ryou nodded. Yuuri had made the same comparison, shortly after their first meeting, praising how well their two namesakes poisoned people. 

Yuuri had interesting tastes, one could say. 

But he didn’t really want to think about Yuuri right now. Not Yuuri or the Fusion dimension or Professor Akaba Leo or anything but being in the Night Garden with Mizael. That was far more interesting than all the rest of it. 

Mizael offered him the vine. “Keep it.” 

Ryou’s hand reached for it at once. Then he forced it back down and turned away. “I can’t. You know I’m courting Yuuri.” 

“I know he wants to be your Healer.” Mizael did not take the wisteria vine away. “But that’s not why I’m giving it to you. I don’t poach.” He pressed his lips together before he continued. “If you’re not interested I understand.” 

Somewhere out there in the worlds, Ryou knew that Fubuki was now laughing at him. Only he would find someone interested in him who came from an entirely different dimension that would soon fall to the amassed might of the Fusion army. 

It wasn’t the first time that people had made advances towards him. It hadn’t happened often, given Academia’s views on dating for students, but a few of them had made offers. He’d turned each and every one of them down. He’d had no time and no interest. 

Now there was interest. But what there wasn’t was time. Only Leo knew the exact moment of the invasion but it would be far too soon for his taste. 

So close and he knew there was far too much that he wanted to do. He wanted to spend more time with Mizael. As nerve-wracking as it was, he wanted to spend more time with Kei. He wanted to open more packs of cards and maybe even consider – though ultimately refuse, of course – what it might be like to have XYZ in his deck. 

There was a whole new world in front of him that he’d never encountered before and he didn’t want to miss out on it. 

Slowly he lifted his hand again and this time accepted the vine. It coiled around his fingers and Mizael’s. Wisteria could be poisonous to the touch, but not very much so, and Mizael’s power would keep even that away from him. 

“And what if I am interested?” He asked at last. Mizael’s smile lit up the Night Garden more so than the lamps set all around. 

“Then so am I.” 

* * *

Akaba Leo considered what was about to happen. He had all the information that he needed. He’d arranged everything with Edo Phoenix, the leader of the army. All of his soldiers were ready. Almost all of his spies and assassins had been brought back home. 

Only one remained – Marufuji Ryou. The message to return to Fusion had been sent to him as well but he’d not replied to it. Not even an acknowledgment that he’d read it. 

Something wasn’t right there. He didn’t want to send Yuuri after the Firestarter, not just yet. It could be something as simple as Marufuji being on a mission and not having had the chance to check his home mail as of yet. Or, given the hour, he could have merely gone to bed early. 

But if he didn’t return to Fusion, that would do nothing to stop the war. He might well get caught up in the battle himself. Leo trusted that he would know which side to fight on. 

_If one of those Cats has been tampering with him..._ He’d gone out of his way to ensure that no Healer Cats or Fire Cats lived in his Academia and that all of those who served him were bonded, with no need for the Cats. 

Cats were – Cats. Cats were too intelligent. Cats were too powerful. Cats could not be taught or trained. Cats did what they wanted to do. 

_Rei had a Cat once._ A beautiful Fire Cat. He didn’t remember the Cat’s name anymore, or what had happened to the Cat after Rei – after she – after what happened. 

He clenched his teeth and shook his head. He did not want to even think about that. He was going to undo it, then he would absolutely destroy every last remnant of Zarc that existed in the four dimensions. 

His lips thinned in satisfaction at the thought of using Yuuri to not only gather his daughter back to him but to get rid of his other selves as well. The boys might be innocent _now_ , might have no idea of who they had been and who they could be again, but it didn’t matter. He would not allow them to find out anything more about themselves. He knew. That was enough. 

Yuuri was too useful to dispose of just yet. If it happened after he bonded to Marufuji, then it would not be a bad thing to have another Healer ready and waiting in the wings. That one that Yuuri mentioned might make a suitable substitute, if properly retrained. Not every Firestarter could survive the loss of their Healer but it wasn’t unknown, either. 

And of course, if it turned out that Marufuji did not have that strength, then so be it. He had been useful as well, but in the end, no one needed a Frostflame. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** So the Ryou x Mizael has begun at last. And now the invasion is on the brink of beginning. Teehee!


	9. Chapter 9

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Cyber Dragon Nova, Cyber End Dragon, Ryou, Kei (OC)|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Nine|| **Words:** 3,103|| **Total:** 27,369  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Cyber Dragon Nova coiled around, peering with interest at all the different places in this apartment. It was small, of course, but it had all the comforts that a human needed, especially a Firestarter. He approved of the small fireplace, even though there wasn’t a fire burning there now. He presumed that the Firestarter – Marufuji Ryou, he reminded himself – would reignite the flames when he returned. 

He wound his way over to a window and peered outside. Anyone who looked back wouldn’t be able to see him, unless they could see spirits. That wasn’t unknown in this world, as Mizael proved. 

There wasn’t anyone out there though. Just as well; he wouldn’t want to see that _other_ Healer, the one that tried to court Ryou and wasn’t meant for him. Kei could tell. Cyber Nova could as well. But Ryou wouldn’t be able to tell for himself until he stopped telling himself all those comforting lies. 

From the moment that he’d become aware of Ryou’s existence, he not only knew how strong of a Firestarter the Cyber duelist was, but the way that strength could turn in on itself. That other Healer wasn’t the sort of person who could support a proper Frostflame. 

“No. He isn’t. But Ryou is not yet ready to accept that.” 

Cyber Nova turned at the voice and bent his head down at once. Any Cyber dragon would display respect in the presence of Cyber End Dragon – the greatest of their kind. 

“Greetings,” Cyber Nova murmured. “It’s been a very long time, hasn’t it?” 

“More time than I care to think.” Cyber End coiled himself together, all three heads staring downward at Nova. “Not since we were all in the Cyber Castle.” 

Cyber Nova released a small sigh, or what would have been one with a more organic creature. “I remember.” There all the different Cyber creatures lived, those who were dragons and those who weren’t. Ogres and warriors and a few others, all working together to help one another. Their Summoning Types didn’t matter there. 

“Have you seen Cyber Dragon Sieger lately?” Cyber End asked, coiling its great length all through the chamber. Nova shook his head. 

“The last that I saw him, he was asleep, and likely to stay that way for a while. I don’t think this world has the skill to summon him,” Nova answered. Cyber End sighed himself. 

“You’re probably right. We could have used his help to awaken Ryou to the truth.” 

Nova twitched the tip of his tail. At least Cyber End didn’t seem to take his presence wrongly. “Then you want him to change?” 

“All of us do, the Cyber Dragons and the Cyberdarks alike,” Cyber End told him. “We will welcome you into the deck when Ryou chooses to welcome you as well. We must make that happen – this world is too close to being invaded by another.” 

Nova raised his head at once. “What do you mean, invasion?” 

The tale that unfolded from there sent shivers down Nova’s spine and all through his body. An entire dimension, an army poised to sweep in and unleash destruction on a scale that this world couldn’t fight back against. 

“How do we stop it?” Nova wanted to know, tail twitching even faster. There had to be a way. He just didn’t know. 

But Cyber End slowly shook his heads. “There is no way that we can do it. Humans could – but there is no way for us to do it. We do not have a true form in this world, not one that could make a difference.” 

“Can’t we tell humans?” Nova asked. “There are a few here who can see and speak to us. Mizael – he gave my card to Ryou – he can do it. He knows something is going on.” 

Cyber End nodded his acknowledgment, three heads moving in unison. “But what could he do? The invasion will be soon. No one knows when, but to convince those in power to even prepare the beginnings of resistance? And is the fact that he can do this known? Would he be trusted?” 

Nova’s head drooped, wings folding and unfolding. He’d not gotten out much into the world, waiting inside of his card for the proper duelist to come along. But he knew anyway. 

“No.” 

Cyber End nodded slightly. “I don’t know what we’ll be able to do. But Ryou must choose sooner or later. Probably sooner. The goals that Akaba Leo wishes to accomplish are wrong.” 

“Then what we need to do is encourage him to not support Fusion anymore,” Nova said. It seemed a bit simple to him. 

Again the three silver heads shook in denial. “He’s been raised his entire life to trust and obey Akaba Leo. Until the Professor does something to openly break Ryou’s trust, then he will not turn away from him.” 

Nova growled out a word that by all rights should have set fire to the carpet and drapes. Cyber End gave him a reproving look, but Nova didn’t take back the word. He didn’t understand humans. It was so simple to see it all. Why could Ryou _not_ see it? 

End reached over to nuzzle against him. “Patience, young one. He is a true and powerful Firestarter. He will see the truth in due time. We must have faith in him.” The ends of their tail twitched lightly. “He has already made the first steps necessary by accepting ownership of you. If he hadn’t done so, even without being aware of it, you and I wouldn’t be able to speak now.” 

“That's true,” Nova agreed. He tilted his head. “What about the rest of his deck?” 

“They will speak to you another time. But we do need something from you, if you can make the effort.” 

Cyber Nova rose as high up as he could, frill extending. “I can do anything you need me to do!” 

“Call to him, then. Speak to his heart, as a spirit will to the duelist meant to be their partner. That can encourage him to stretch himself into new directions and doing that will encourage him to make the changes that will lead him away from Fusion's twisted path.” 

“That I can _definitely_ do!” Nova declared, head held high and firm. It would not be difficult at all to do this. He would have to wait until Ryou came home and was near enough to him to do it, but he could do it. 

Cyber End nodded, then the center head tilted quizzically. “There is another in this world, isn’t there?” 

Nova considered. He’d been away from most of the other Cyber Dragons since linking himself to the card. He’d been aware of the presence of one of the others but that one hadn’t made themselves known yet. Now he cast his awareness outward, reaching until he brushed against another. 

There was a difference in the feel between all monsters, based off of their Summons type. A different set of tingles or their auras, whatever the words one wished to use, for Normal Summons, Rituals, Fusion, or XYZ. There were other sensations, or so Nova thought, for other methods. But those were the ones that he was familiar with to whatever degree. 

Oh. So that was it. 

“I haven’t seen him in ages,” he murmured. “Cyber Dragon Eternity.” Eternity could be called his elder, or something to that effect. Human terms didn’t always apply to spirits. 

“Could he be of assistance as well?” Cyber End’s heads coiled gently around one another, metallic scales scraping together. 

Slowly Nova’s frill retreated. “I don’t know. I can’t even tell where he is right now.” Tail tip twitched. “I can keep searching, though.” 

Cyber End agreed. “Do the best that you can. We don’t know how much time we have left.” 

Nova agreed. Perhaps if he could at least persuade Ryou to carry his card around, he would have a better chance to locate Cyber Dragon Eternity’s card. The other XYZ Cyber Dragon would be so very useful in the deck, and in helping Ryou become the person that he should be. 

“Now, Nova. Speak to us of this other Healer, the one from this world.” Cyber End regarded him with a hint of amusement. “You know him, do you not?” 

Nova's head ducked down at once. “Only a little. He wants to help Ryou too.” 

“As we are aware. Would he seek to bond with Ryou?” Sharp eyes regarded Nova. “Or is there another purpose for his actions?” 

That brought Nova to a quick halt. He turned slowly, frill rising some. “Another purpose?” He hadn’t heard Mizael talk too much about Ryou, but he knew that Mizael wouldn’t even think about poaching. 

But would it be poaching when that other Healer was so very wrong for Ryou and both Mizael and the Healer Cat Kei – who still snored peacefully in the chair – were so much better for him? They would never hurt him, not like that other one did. Nova hadn’t seen him but just the feeling he got was enough to spark dislike. 

“We shall see, then, won’t we?” Cyber End mused, and faded back into the deck, leaving Nova to his own very confused thoughts. 

* * *

Ryou entered his apartment, closing and locking the door absently, his thoughts more on the scrap of wisteria vine enclosed in a silken wrapping than anything else. Mizael promised that he would find a way to seal it up in glass to preserve it. Ryou liked the thought of that. 

He glanced around the room as he entered, snorting softly to himself at the sight of the Cat still asleep on the chair. He settled himself down on the couch and leaned his head back, staring up at the ceiling. He wanted to go to bed, but he wanted to rest a little first, to get his thoughts in order. 

They didn’t know each other very well. They’d really only had two conversations between the two of them. Yet Ryou could not deny that he found himself more interested in Mizael than he was in anyone else. His true romantic options had always been few and far between. This was different. 

He rested the vine on his leg, one hand on top of it. For a rare time in his life he found himself absolutely at peace. He wasn’t sure of how long it would last – probably not nearly long enough – but he would enjoy it while he could. 

A tiny beeping interrupted his relaxation. He blinked, slowly realizing that it had been going on since he’d returned home. 

At first he wasn’t sure of what it was – then he realized. It could only been one thing. He heaved himself up, taking care to set the vine down where it couldn’t be harmed, then stepped to the private safe hidden behind a painting. The painting itself was of something innocuous, a lovely snow-topped mountain that reminded him of the Cyber Dojo. But it hid the safe where he kept some of his most precious and hidden tools. 

Not every hidden agent carried this. But now he pulled out the PDA that had a direct link back to the Fusion dimension. These were kept mostly by students but they were also useful to send messages to agents. Most messages he quickly cleared out; common school garbage. 

But then the important one caught his eye and all color drained from his face. 

_It’s from the Professor._

“What's the problem?” 

Ryou didn’t scare easily. In point of fact, he couldn’t recall the last time that he’d been afraid. Now he jerked in surprise, staring at Kei as the Ct strolled up to him. It took him a moment to recover, then he pressed his lips together. 

“You have to leave here.” 

Kei sat down and coiled his tail around his paws. “That doesn’t tell me what’s bothered you. I’m your Healer Cat. You can trust me.” 

“You’re not -” Ryou started, then stopped. Kei wasn’t going to listen to him, so why bother. He suspected the Cat smirked at that. But he shook his head. “You still have to leave. To find somewhere safe.” 

Kei regarded him thoughtfully before he reached up and swatted the PDA out of Ryou’s hands with one large paw and tugged it closer to him. 

Ryou tried to reach for the PDA, but whatever other talents Kei had, swift reading and comprehension numbered among them. He peered up at Ryou, tail lashing and whiskers twitching. 

“The invasion comes this weekend?” Claws slowly slipped in and out. “Tell me what this is, Ryou.” 

There was an edge to the words; not quite the overwhelming force that a Healer could put in their words that would bring most Firestarters to heel. But there was a warning there regardless. 

Ryou made up his mind in a breath. He picked up the PDA and settled back on the couch. “It’s exactly what it says. This weekend there will be an invasion of this world from mine – the Fusion Dimension. It’s why I’m here. Getting rid of those who would strive to rise up against our warriors when they arrive before they have a chance to do so.” 

Kei coiled back up on the chair and stared at him thoughtfully. “As I said before, you know what you’re doing is wrong.” There wasn’t a shred of doubt in his tones. 

Oddly enough, his eyes seemed to shift away from Ryou, tracking an empty speck of air for a few seconds. 

Ryou shook his head. “No. This is for the greater good of everyone. XYZ will be better when it’s over. There will be a lot of pain at first, but out of the ashes will come a new dawn.” He smiled, thinking of all the lectures he’d attended where the Professor explained what he wanted of them. Now that glorious time was about to come to fruition. 

Oh. That meant that Mizael would be in danger, and Ryou couldn’t do anything about it. He wouldn’t be able to warn him or give the slightest hint that something was coming. Not a word could be spoken. Kei would be the same way, if he hadn’t already read the alert. 

He would ask if Mizael could be spared. He had time – the invasion wasn’t for two more days. Mizael remained a fantastic duelist. The Professor would certainly see the benefits of keeping him alive. 

_What about Kei?_ He wasn’t sure of what to think of that. The Cat simply installed himself into Ryou’s life and didn’t seem inclined to leave. Which meant that Ryou would have to be the one to do it. 

He shook his head again. “If you don’t leave, then you’ll be in danger. You will be no matter what. Heartland is only the beginning. It will take some time but we’re going to take this entire world.” 

Kei’s claws came out again, teeth sharp as he spoke. “Not so easily as you may think. This world will fight those who try to take it.” 

“You won’t succeed.” Ryou pointed out. “It’s better if you just surrender.” 

A sharp slap across his face came from a heavy paw and Kei stood astride him, glaring. “This world will not fall. And if it should, we will shake off your shackles and take back what it ours. We are not spineless, to fall because of stern looks or prattling of children who have forgotten to think for themselves.” 

“Are you calling me a child?” Ryou snapped, raising one hand to push the Cat away, realizing at the same time how _heavy_ the creature was. Kei didn’t go anywhere. 

“Yes. I am. You’ve been hurting people and you plan to hurt more. Your allies intend to invade and conquer a world that isn’t theirs and you think that’s _fine_.” Kei’s gray eyes burned into him, brighter than his own lames, and hotter. “How can you do this? Why would you do this? And do not tell me an answer that even _hints_ at that foolish Professor’s name.” 

Ryou started to open his mouth and closed it again. There wasn’t an answer that he could give that didn’t involve Akaba Leo. Kei snorted as the minutes dragged on. 

“I didn’t think so.” Kei pressed down harder. “There’s nothing you can do to stop this?” 

“I wouldn’t if I could,” Ryou spat the words out. “What do I care about this world? Or any of you?” 

Kei growled deep in his throat. “Can you say that you don’t care about Mizael? Or me?” 

Once again Ryou wanted to say something but words failed him. His gaze fell on the wisteria vine. A handful of minutes earlier he’d been thinking about how rare it was to find someone that he could like the way that he cared for Mizael. 

“I can keep him safe,” Ryou said at last. “I’ve done good work. The Professor would grant me that.” He swallowed for a heartbeat. “And I’m sure that he would do the same for you, if I asked.” 

“Really.” Kei bit through the word as if he were biting through flesh. “You didn’t even know my kind existed. Do you think your _Professor_ had nothing to do with that?” 

Again all the words froze in Ryou’s throat. He wanted to believe that the Professor had nothing to do with that. Perhaps Healer Cats and Fire Cats just didn’t exit in Fusion. 

The rules. No one could have pets of any kind. Determining who could and couldn’t bond. A practical arrangement to make certain those of the appropriate power levels bonded to one another or something else altogether? He could no longer be certain. Not with Kei staring him in the face with such fury. 

Not when he’d heard Mizael's tales of how he and others had not quite courted, though he’d sort of wanted to. Surely someone of Mizael’s strength could easily find a Firestarter. 

They’d not spoken much of Healing and Firestarting. Neither wanted to bring up the topic, not when Ryou courted another, and both were firm in not poaching or being poached. That was how it was supposed to work. 

Kei nodded slowly. “I cannot say for certain. I would have to speak to any of my kin who live there – if they still do. But I would not at all be surprised to find out we were banned because he cannot control us – as he controls you.” 

For a third time Ryou tried to open his mouth to deny Kei’s words. 

For a third time, he could say nothing. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Writing Kei verbally and mildly swatting Ryou was fun! Ryou needed that. Also, the Cyber Spirits may not be _heavily_ involvled in what is to come but they do have a role to play.


	10. Chapter 10

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Ryou, Akaba Leo, Yuuri|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Ten|| **Words:** 3,048|| **Total:** 30,417  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Ryou sagged back onto the couch as Kei vanished out of the window, muttering something to the effect of Ryou being an utter idiot. At the moment Ryou wasn’t sure if he agreed or not. Only a short time earlier he’d been about as happy as he’d ever been. While he still wasn’t certain about bonding to Yuuri, he did want to spend more time around Mizael, and perhaps that could help him make a decision. Having the small scrap of wisteria pleased him too. 

He wasn’t sure of where Kei was going or what he had planned. But he also knew what he needed to do – get home. He wanted to talk to the Professor and see if he could get both Kei and Mizael spared from what was to come. He wanted to believe that the Professor would listen to him. 

It took no time at all to get back to Fusion – merely the act of strapping his Fusion-built Duel Disk to his arm and activating the signal. Light blinded him for a few seconds, and he found himself in a room he remembered – one where Fusion agents usually appeared when returning from a field mission. 

It was late here, too. He’d learned quickly that the worlds ran on more or less the same amount of time. At least Fusion and XYZ did. He’d never visited Synchro or Standard. 

_The Professor always stays late in his throne room._ Ryou wasn’t certain of why the Professor had a throne room as opposed to an office but it wasn’t his place to argue the peculiarities of those higher ranking than he was. Especially not when he needed their help to get what he wanted. 

But before he went there, he had one other stop to make. Reaching his own personal quarters from the transport room took a scant ten minutes and he took another few to get into his proper uniform. He needed to look his absolute best for this. 

In some ways what he wore now resembled the average Obelisk Blue uniform. In some it didn’t. Golden epaulets adorned the shoulders of his white jacket; his pants remained the same shade of deep blue, but made of finer material than student garb. His leather boots came to mid-calf with slight gold fringes. He rather liked it. 

Though he did tend to wear more black when he was in XYZ. It meant less effort trying to pick out something to wear and he’d never been the clothes-horse that Fubuki had been. 

Satisfied that he would now be presenting himself as his true identity as a Fusion solider, he headed to the Professor’s throne room. Two guards, both of whom he recognized from his own days as a student, stood outside the door. One of them regarded him. 

“We haven’t seen _you_ back in a while, Kaiser,” he said, recalling Ryou’s school nickname. “You’ve been busy, I hear.” 

“Yes, I have.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “And I have business with the Professor right now. May I enter?” 

The guards exchanged a glance, then the one who hadn’t spoken peeked inside. “Sir? Marufuji Ryou is here to speak with you.” 

Ryou could not hear the reply, but the door was pushed open a little further. “Enter,” the second guard told him. “But don’t take up too much of his time.” 

“Of course.” Ryou briskly entered, hearing his boots click on the floor as he did so. The click ceased when he arrived at the carpet that led up to the throne. When he reached the proper spot, he stopped to bow. 

Akaba Leo wasn’t that old – probably in his fifties at the oldest. His uniform wasn’t much unlike those of his students and soldiers, save for the purple color. Only Yuuri wore a similar shade, and most people took that to mean that Yuuri was his most favored one. 

“It’s been a while since you were here. I’m glad that you received the message,” Akaba Leo said after a few silent moments. Protocol demanded that he address Ryou before Ryou said anything himself. “I trust you had more to do than simply greet me now that you’ve returned from your mission.” 

Ryou drew in a breath. “Yes, sir. I’m aware of the invasion happening. There are, though, two people that I wish to have spared. They have been of – interest to me.” Interest was a good word for this. He didn’t know a better one. 

“The duelist Healer Mizael and the Healer Cat Kei.” Leo said quietly. Ryou tensed at that. “I’ve heard of them already.” 

Ryou fought to keep himself in perfect stillness. He dared not let himself show a real emotion. Real emotions could get him killed. “From Yuuri, I presume.” Of course it would have been Yuuri. 

“Yes.” Leo bent his head. “I've given orders in relation to them already. The duelist may be permitted to join us, if he shows wisdom. The Cat, however, will not. Cats are forbidden.” 

“Why?” The word fell out of Ryou’s mouth without a second of hesitation. “There isn’t anything wrong with them.” 

One thin eyebrow raised. “They’re forbidden because they are incapable of understanding our goals. They will attempt to dissuade you from doing what is right. That one has already attempted, hasn’t he?” 

As much as he’d not been able to deny Kei’s words now he couldn’t say anything to the Professor’s. He forced himself to shake his head. He wasn’t being drawn astray. 

Leo’s gimlet gaze never left him. “I think otherwise. I think you’ve been in that world too long.” He tilted his head back, thinking. “While I am pleased to see you returning of your own will instead of having to send someone to get you, that world has changed you in unsuitable ways. Your mission there is complete. You have no further need to recall anything from there.” 

It took Ryou a few seconds before he grasped exactly what Leo meant by that. There were plenty of rumors about what the scientists could do to one’s memories. The least terrifying was just to read them in general. That wasn't so bad; it could be very useful when it came to spies relaying what they saw on their missions. 

But other rumors spoke in twisted whispers and dark murmurs about how the scientists could rip away every single memory that the victim had, leaving them an empty shell to be rewritten in any way that the scientists – or whoever they were given to – desired. 

He started to take a step back, when two pairs of firm hands rested on him. He jerked his head around to see two strange guards there. Both held onto him firmly. 

“Have him taken to Memory Lab Thirty-one,” the Professor ordered. “And someone send a message to Yuuri. He’ll want to assist in the reprogramming.” 

“Yes, sir,” both of the guards replied. Ryou wasn’t going to let _that_ happen. Fire uncoiled from the deepest part of himself, lashing out at the two guards and knocking them away, the scent of burning flesh arising sharply. Both of them stumbled, hands going to their new burns. 

Regardless of what else they thought of him, he was _still_ the most powerful Firestarter in Fusion, and Yuuri wasn’t there to hold him back. 

“Marufuji! Stand down!” Leo snapped. For the first time in his lie, Ryou ignored his orders. He kept up a ring of fire all around himself even as he backed out of the throne room and headed away. 

He wasn’t at all sure of where he was going. Only that it had to be not here. 

_Mizael. Kei. XYZ._ He would have to tell them the full truth. He would have to apologize for the lies and secrets. 

He would have to help them against Fusion. 

A thousand other thoughts raced through his mind. Not all of them seemed to be in his voice, but he didn’t have the time to stop and listen to any of them. Instead he closed his eyes and concentrated, lashing out tongues of flame as far as he could, growing the flames faster and faster. 

Beyond the roar of his fires he could hear the alarms ringing and a voice ringing out over the intercom system. He wasn’t sure about the words but he suspected the gist of them – rogue Firestarter, do not approach. 

He had to go back to XYZ. He could see figures moving beyond the flames and the flames whispered warnings – moments before cold foam started to damp them down. 

All right. If this was what they wanted. Ryou reached outward and licked his flames at the base of their clothes, those sentries who would dare try to take him to where he’d get his memories taken away – his self taken away. 

They leaped back, yelping in fear and pain, and Ryou smiled. He’d always enjoyed tasting pain himself. It helped him know that he was alive and that he’d won. But extending it to others had a certain appeal to it as well. 

Especially right now, when it got him enough space to tap his duel disk. In that same moment, something flicked through the fires and buried itself into his upper shoulder. Ryou had time only to utter one startled cry before everything turned black and the world quietly stepped away. 

* * *

Soft fingers threaded their way through his hair. That was the first thing that Ryou became aware of again. After that came the fact he rested on something soft. He twitched a fraction. The hand continued to soothe. 

Was it – someone he wanted? Ryou wasn’t sure. Everything fuzzed in his head. He’d been somewhere – somewhere he didn’t think he wanted to be anymore. There wasn’t anyone there he wanted to have around. But there was someone that he wanted. Two someones? 

A flicker of gold flashed through his memory, muddled and fuzzy and indistinct and he tried his best to seize for it, only to have it fade away again. A breath later, another image, this time of cool gray eyes, regarded him, backed up by black fur. 

Fur? That wasn’t right. Shou had gray eyes but blue hair, a lighter shade of his own. This – really wasn’t right. He twitched harder, and the hand in his hair moved downward to rest against his throat. 

“Are you waking up?” A familiar voice murmured. Oh, yes, he knew who that was. He just knew that he didn’t want to hear it right now. 

His eyes flew open to see Yuuri smiling down at him. Not one of those smiles that meant anything good, of course. But a smile that meant Yuuri was about to hurt someone and thoroughly enjoy it. 

Ryou tried to open his mouth to rage. He found a breath later that he could not – some sort of vine wrapped all around him and set between his teeth kept him from speaking, let alone moving. Yuuri chuckled as soon as Ryou’s reactions revealed he noticed. 

“You’re not going anywhere until I’m ready to take us back to Fusion,” Yuuri said, tapping him on the nose. “The Professor is very angry at you. But I managed to talk him into letting _me_ deal with you. We're still going to bond. At least we are unless I find I like someone else better. But regardless, until that happens, you’re mine in every sense of the word.” 

Ryou tried with all of his might to wriggle out of his bonds. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t get his flames to ignite at all. Yuuri chuckled in amusement. 

“You won’t be getting out of that. I hit you up with a very special little drug after I got here.” Yuuri gestured around and Ryou realized they were in his own apartment in XYZ. The vines were from the flytrap, which was a great deal bigger than it had been. Yuuri must have pumped it full of energy to get it that big in the span of – not very long? He thought? 

Yuuri tapped to get his attention again. “Perhaps you've heard of Firedamp?” 

Firedamp. Oh, he’d heard of it. _Firedamp neutralizes a Firestarter's powers for – I don’t know. It depends on the size of the dose. How much did he give me?_

Yuuri kept on smiling down at him. “I guess you have heard of it then. So you’re probably wondering how much I put in you. Let’s say – you’re not going to flame again until after you’ve been wiped and I’ve put into your memories exactly what I want you to have.” He leaned closer. “We can start with absolute obedience to me.” 

Ryou shook his head relentlessly. He didn’t want that at all! Nor would the Professor want it – he couldn’t! But Yuuri didn’t stop smiling. He at least thought he could get away with it. 

“Now, while I was waiting for you to wake up, I found this.” Yuuri raised up something and Ryou recognized it as the silk-wrapped wisteria vine Mizael had given to him. “You got this from him, I see. I can feel his power in this.” His nose wrinkled. “You really have been disloyal to me.” 

Ryou wanted to say that he hadn’t – that what he felt for Mizael was so different from Yuuri, that he hadn’t cheated. But the vines wrapped around him continued to keep him firmly in place. He couldn’t so much as voice a squeak in protest. 

Yuuri slipped the vine into his own pocket. “I’ll take care of this, and him, shortly.” He regarded Ryou thoughtfully. “But what to do with _you_ for now? I do intend to have that duel – and card him in front of you.” He tapped his fingers on Ryou’s arm. “You won’t protest, either. Even if you wanted to, you won’t. I can assure you on that. But we have time left until the duel. So what do I do with you until then? I’d rather not wipe your mind before then. It will be so much more entertaining to have you fully aware of who that Cat and Healer are when I tear up their cards in front of you.” 

Ryou strained so hard that he tasted the vine on his tongue. Yuuri tapped him on the nose again. “Stop doing that. You’re not going anywhere. If I have to put you to sleep again, I will. I probably should.” 

Now Ryou tried his best to shake his head. He didn’t want to be that vulnerable around Yuuri. But Yuuri didn’t seem to notice, or care if he did. Instead, he turned his attention to the sunlight starting to pour in through the window. 

_Kei knows. Kei’s probably already told Mizael._ Ryou bit the vine as hard as he could and gasped out a pair of muffled words. 

“They – know -” He tried to say more but the tine tightened at Yuuri’s stern look. Yuuri drummed his fingers in thought. 

“They know. They know the invasion is coming?” He tilted one eyebrow a fraction. Ryou tilted his head the bit he was allowed, staring down at his bonds. Without his flames he couldn’t do anything to get out of this The vines wrapped around his wrists and ankles, keeping his wrists held firmly behind his back, and another vine tight around his throat. If he fought too hard, it would cut off his air. 

Yuuri’s lips pressed together before a joyous smile broke over his features. “Then I’ll just have to do a little talking to them. At least to that Healer – who knows where that mangy Cat is.” 

_Kei’s not mangy!_ Ryou mentally snapped. He hated not being able to call the flames. Was this how people who weren’t Firestarters felt? There was such a huge swirl of emptiness inside of himself. Nothing felt right. His stomach was empty and his head stuffed with cotton and he wasn’t sure how much of that was because of the drug that knocked him out, the Firedamp, or who knew what. 

Yuuri rose up. “This won’t take me long. And yes, I know where he lives. I took the liberty of checking the number he gave you already. He really shouldn’t have done that, you know.” 

If Ryou had had any notion of what would happen, he would have made sure that Mizael didn’t do that. But he couldn’t stop it now. 

“Keep a good grip on him,” Yuuri ordered the flytrap, giving it another surge of energy. “I’ve got plans for when I get back.” His eyes glittered a cold amethyst. “Very painful plans.” 

He wiggled his fingers. “You be a good boy while I’m gone. I want you right where you are when I come back. I _might_ thin the dosage a little if you do exactly as you’re told.” Yuuri shrugged. “But I probably won’t.” 

Yuuri strolled out the door, closing and locking it behind him. Ryou glared; he’d set it up so only someone he trusted could have locked or unlocked the door. That had been Yuuri, not all that long ago. Now that led to where he was now. 

He dropped his head back as best he could. Again and again he tried to get to his flames but they weren’t there. It wasn’t that they were there and he couldn’t reach them. It was as if they’d never been there in the first place. It wasn’t right. 

_This is going to last for days. Until after the invasion starts._ That wasn’t what he wanted. He still wasn’t sure what he wanted, let alone what he would be able to get. 

All of his upbringing and his logic told him that what he needed to do was get back on Yuuri and the Professor’s good side. To submit to having his memories wiped and become the good soldier of Fusion that he’d been just the day before – right until being a good solider of Fusion threatened to take away people that he’d never imagined were that important to him until they weren’t going to be there anymore. 

_You never know what you have until you’re going to lose it,_ Ryou realized. He hadn’t lost it yet. But it hovered between his fingertips and his grip was slipping fast. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** And now the real evil begins! Insert cackling here.


	11. Chapter 11

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Kei (OC), Yuuri, Ryou, Chris, & Durbe|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Ten|| **Words:** 3,197|| **Total:** 33,614  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.  
[[MORE]]

* * *

Mizael brought his breakfast over to the tiny counter that served him to eat on, paging through the local news updates. So far, no new disappearances had been announced. He’d kept a closer watch on those the last day or so. He couldn’t be certain if that meant Marufuji – Ryou – was involved or not. It wasn’t exactly something he could ask the man himself, after all. 

But at least no one else _had_ vanished. That was for the best. 

In the back of his thoughts there still floated the memory of walking through the Night Garden with Ryou. As pleasant as it had been, there was still a vague sense of something being off. As if Ryou wasn’t telling him everything that he could or should. 

A thump on the balcony brought him out of his thoughts and he turned to see Kei there. He blinked; he hadn’t expected the Healer Cat to turn up. 

“Good morning,” he greeted, starting to get up. It would be rude not to offer breakfast, even for an uninvited guest. 

Kei shook his head. “I’m not hungry. I’m angry.” 

Mizael froze in place. “What happened?” It had to be something with Ryou. What had Kei found out? 

The Cat stalked closer, tail lashing, claws clicking on the floor. “We have a Firestarter who is an utter _idiot_.” He all but spat the words out. “And we have a great deal to prepare for in a very short amount of time.” 

Breakfast seemed very unimportant all of a sudden. “What happened? What’s going on?” 

What he heard wasn’t at all what he’d expected. An oncoming invasion – with scant two days before it would happen. Ryou not only knew about it all along but complicit in making it happen. 

The more he heard, the more he wanted to scream in rage and then call every dragon in his deck to defend the city. He managed to fight his rage back, if only when Jinlong rested an insubstantial hand on his shoulder. 

**Peace. We won’t survive this without thinking rationally, hatchling.**

Mizael didn’t want to think rationally. He wanted to find Ryou and do unspecified things out of sheer rage. But he fought his temper back. That could be done later. 

“So what can we do?” He paced back and forth. “Is there anything that we can do?” 

Kei heaved his shoulders. “That I don’t know. I knew that I had to tell you. Did you want to try to talk to Ryou?” His whiskers twitched. “Though I can’t say for certain if he’ll be there long enough to be talked to. The message required that all of the agents return to Fusion.” 

Mizael frowned. “I think I should.” He knew from what Kei said that Ryou hadn’t listened – that at best he’d hesitated if only briefly. But he refused to just cut off contact. There _was_ something more to Ryou than just a mindless order-taker, subservient agent of Fusion. Mizael wanted to see more o that strong, proud Firestarter that he’d spent such a pleasant evening with. 

_How can he do this?_ There had been mentions of a strict school and a hint that he did _things_. Mizael thought at first that perhaps Ryou was involved in underground dueling. There was plenty of that in Heartland, even though most people tried to pretend that it didn’t happen. 

He headed to get his proper clothes on, still racking over what had happened and what might happen. None of this made sense and there had to be something more that he could do. 

_Chris. Everyone else._ Mizael came to a halt and started to turn around. From here he didn’t have a good view of his living room but Kei would have said something if he were going to leave. He hoped. 

“Can we tell other people? The best duelists that I know. They might be able to help.” That could be something. Any little bit that could get them ready before it started. 

“I really wouldn’t advise it.” 

That wasn’t Kei. 

Mizael stalked back into the main room, still clad only in his pajama bottoms, every one of his plants waving in the reflected field of his anger. Yuuri stood there, one hand on his hip, smiling that innocent and wicked smile. His eyes flicked up and down Mizael, the corners of his mouth twitching upward, but he said nothing else. 

“You’re not invited here.” Mizael declared. Oddly enough, he couldn’t see Kei anywhere. Had the Cat left before Yuuri appeared? 

He would figure that out later. Right now, Jinlong assumed his dragon form, peering closer at Yuuri and deeply sniffing. 

**He’s not entirely human,** Jinlong reported. **I don’t know what he is. Tread carefully.**

That didn’t matter to Mizael right now. Instead, he stalked closer. “What do you want here?” 

“As I told you, it wouldn’t be wise to tell anyone else our little secret.” Yuuri twirled a tiny something in between his fingers. Mizael drew in a sharp breath of rage as he realized what it was. 

The wisteria vine that he’d given Ryou. 

“Why do you have that?” 

“This?” Yuuri held it up, dangling between two fingers. “My Firestarter gave it to me. Said he didn’t want to keep it.” He smiled. “He’s _such_ a good, loyal Firestarter. Not just to me, but to the Professor.” He closed his fingers over the vine, a pulse of power lashing outward. When he opened his fingers, the vine fell into pale gray dust, all of the life energy drained to the point it no longer existed. “Now, I believe that we had a duel scheduled for this weekend.” 

Every plant in the room waved and whispered as Mizael's rage stoked higher and higher. “Do you think that I’m going to duel you now?” 

Yuuri laughed. “No, not now. I have some matters to take care of. But I will be ready for you this weekend and you’re going to be there. You see, our Professor is perfectly willing for you to join us. I personally think you’d be better off as mulch in my garden, and even that’s too good for you, but what the Professor wants he gets. So here are the stakes: we will duel on Saturday. If you win, then I’ll insist to the Professor that you either escaped me or fell in the invasion. When I win, you’ll come back with me to Fusion.” 

Mizael didn’t think that he could believe a word he was hearing. “What makes you think I’ll agree to that?” 

“Because you don’t really have any choices. If you try to run off and babble to other people, then I’ll simply card everyone you tell before the invasion even begins.” Yuuri toyed with something that Mizael belatedly realized was a duel disk. Just not one he’d ever seen the likes of before… “And if you try to skip out on our duel, then there are other actions I can take. Did you know that Marufuji enjoys experiencing pain?” He raised his eyes to stare at Mizael, an unholy shimmer of excitement there. “And I enjoy delivering it. It’s part of what makes us such a good match.” 

Mizael’s stomach lurched back and forth at those words. It didn’t matter if Ryou would enjoy it or not but the fact _Yuuri_ would inflict pain and have so much fun doing so? That he couldn’t bear. He pressed his lips together. 

“Why are you doing this?” 

Yuuri’s smirk sickened Mizael. “Don’t expect the usual party line of “because this is what the Professor wants” from me. My reasons are different.” He leaned forward. “I just told you I like hurting people. That’s all the reason that I need.” He raised one hand in a mocking gesture of farewell. “I will see you this weekend. Do behave yourself until then. I’d hate to have to hurt Marufuji.” He tittered. “Well, _I_ wouldn’t.” 

He touched a finger to his duel disk and in a flash of light vanished. Mizael spat out a few words that seasoned swearers might have wanted to take notes on, then stalked in to finish getting dressed. Bad enough Yuuri had been there, worse that Mizael hadn’t even had his pants on yet. 

“I can still tell them,” Kei murmured. Mizael turned to see the Cat standing in the doorway to his room. No use to ask where he’d come from. He was, after all, a Cat. 

“He’d just use that as an excuse. Not that he needs one. But he’d do it anyway, and claim that we’re responsible for it. He’d be wrong but he would do it anyway.” 

Kei’s claws flexed. “If he’s going to do it anyway -” 

“It’s not like that. If he does it because we tried to warn people, he hurts Ryou because of what we did. I’m not going to give him that reason.” He knew very well that Yuuri would do what he wanted to do regardless. The Healer just gave that impression. “But if he does it on his own – that _is_ on his own. Don’t give him excuses or reasons.” 

He knew the logic was shaky. But he also knew that his options were limited. When it came to certain things he had limits – such as the potential torment of someone that he had the faintest hints of caring about. Even if Ryou truly cared nothing at all for him... 

The Healer Cat regarded him for a few moments before he turned to the balcony and leaped out. Mizael tried not to smile too much. That was exactly what he’d hoped Kei would do. 

Now he just had to wait for two days – two days until the end of the world. 

Even if he couldn’t warn people, he could make plans of his own. And so he did. 

* * *

One quick stop in Fusion, then Yuuri hopped back over to XYZ, taking the time only to input the co-ordinates to land back in Marufuji’s apartment. He smiled at the sight of the Firestarter, seated bound and gagged on his couch, seething. The flames in Marufuji’s eyes only flared stronger when Yuuri strolled over. 

“I’m back,” he sang, settling down next to him. “You don’t have to worry about that other Healer anymore. Not that you were, of course. Were you?” 

He didn’t care what answer Marufuji gave. He lounged a bit, foot resting against Marufuji’s leg. All around him wrapped long vines spreading out from the flytrap he’d brought over before. Under normal circumstances it wouldn’t have been enough to trap a Firestarter of Marufuji’s caliber. But with Yuuri having been the one to grow it, that changed the rules. So did the Firedamp that he’d shot the man up with hours earlier. 

“He’ll keep his mouth shut now. He knows what I’ll do to you if he doesn’t.” Yuuri chuckled. “Not that you’d care if I did hurt you, would you? You like that. I _know_.” 

And he did know. There were many rumors about Marufuji’s secret tastes, especially when it came to dueling. The way that he savored pain – so delicious. So appealing to Yuuri. He’d spoken the flat truth to the blond Healer. He enjoyed inflicting pain. Marufuji enjoyed experiencing pain. The most perfect of matches. At least to some degrees. 

He looked forward to the chance to test out that other Firestarter, the one from _this_ world. Would this Kurosaki Shun also enjoy pain? He might not need two Firestarters, but the thought of having two possessions that could deal with all of his twisted impulses appealed to him. No one had ever offered Yuuri heaven on a plate to this degree. 

“It’s almost time. We’ll be ready when it comes.” Yuuri tapped one finger in thought. “Now, we don’t need to stay here until then. In fact, it would be better if we packed up and went back home. We wouldn’t want any unwanted visitors coming by, now would we?” He turned his attention to Ryou, a very satisfied smile playing over his lips. “I know I wouldn’t. This shouldn’t take long. There’s really nothing from here you need to take except your proper deck and duel disk.” 

He regarded Ryou thoughtfully. The vines tightened at a glance from him and Ryou hissed as best he could. Which wasn’t that much, given one thick vine tucked neatly between his jaws. Yuuri quite loved being able to do this. So much easier than needing to take ropes or chains with one. 

“If I come across that Cat, I have permission to card it. And I’m going to card that Healer as well. Regardless of what happens in the duel. Not that I expect him to win.” Yuuri laughed softly, tracing one finger down the side of Ryou’s face. “Nor do you, do you?” He allowed the vines to loosen just enough so that Ryou could express his opinion. Which was, of course, exactly what Yuuri wanted from him. 

He made sure that Marufuji had his proper duel disk on him, then slipped one arm around his Firestarter. 

“You don’t have to worry about your precious memories just yet. I’ll wait until after the war is done to wipe you and remake you the way that I want you. So when – or if – we bond, you’ll be extremely willing and eagerS.” 

Yuuri rested one finger against his lips. “And I’ll tell you a secret – I have something I want you to do after that’s taken care of.” He leaned in closer and whispered. “We’re going to kill the Professor. And won’t that be a _lot_ of fun?” 

* * *

Kei hadn’t been in Heartland City for more than a few days. He’d been drawn by the sensation that any Healer or Healer Cat developed when they knew their potential Firestarter was in the area. While that wasn’t much of a drawback, since Fire Cats and Healer Cats were welcome anywhere and could get what they needed easily enough, it meant that he didn’t know nearly as many people as he could have. 

Which meant when it came to warning people, all he had to go on were the ones that he’d heard Mizael speak of, and a few that he had seen in the magazines. He didn’t bother with them very often, since he preferred to identify by scent more than anything else, bu he was a Healer Cat. He had other options. 

Yuuri hadn’t noticed him, or hadn’t cared if he had. Under most circumstances that would have annoyed Kei to no end. Cats should never be ignored. But now that gave him the option that Mizael didn’t have. 

_If he’s going to hurt Ryou no matter what, then it doesn’t matter what we do or don’t do._ Sometimes Kei didn’t understand humans. Right now, he didn’t need to. 

He raced inside the Night Garden and pitched to a halt near to a copse of bushes. There were a few people walking here and there, but none them held familiar scents. He focused his attention instead on the bushes in front of him and reached outward. 

_My friends. I need your help._

The bushes, grasses, flowers, and trees all twitched towards him, attention sharpening as he focused. 

_Foes are coming. Spread the word to all who can understand you. All of those who fight with cards especially._

There were ways to fight without cards, but strength had to be met with strength, and while he still didn’t know all the details of what was going on, Kei knew that ordinary defenses would not work. Cards would do the fighting here – though not for a moment did he expect any of those who came against them to fight fairly. 

_We have little time. Be as ready as you all can be. Fight back against those who would harm our world and our people._

His tail lashed. All of the life around him stirred, grass and trees and flowers and bushes murmuring amongst themselves. If the idea had been their own, then the news would have spread very slowly. Plants did not think in the same way that humans or Cats did. Mobile life needed to be fast. Life that grew where it was did not. 

But with every moment, he could see others stopping and turning to the nearest tree or bush, looking more and more worried. Some of them hurried along out of the Garden, and he could hear worried whispers marking what they could do and if they should warn other people. 

“Excuse me.” A quiet voice spoke and Kei turned to see a tall Healer behind him. A Healer and a Firestarter, in point of fact. Both of them had pale hair, but the Healer’s shone like silver, while the Firestarter's was more the color of ash. “You’re the one who sent that warning message, aren’t you?” 

Kei nodded, claws flexing. “We have until Saturday. At best.” He hoped that this Healer wouldn’t try to ask more questions than were necessary right now, not when they could be home getting ready for what was to come. 

“What exactly is going on? Where is the attack going to come from?” The Firestarter wanted to know. There was the tension of a warrior in every word that he spoke – he was perhaps not a stranger to combat. 

“They come from another world,” Kei told them, not allowing himself to relax. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever relax. He had his own preparations to make and couldn’t stay here much longer. “They are duelists. Their goal is to crush this world and perhaps more – I can’t be certain.” 

Ryou hadn’t been able to tell him as much as he would have liked. Most of what he would have babbled would likely have been about how amazing their goals were and not the practical points Kei wanted to know. 

The two glanced at one another, then back to Kei. “Thank you,” the Healer said. “Does this have something to do with Mizael and that Firestarter he claims to not be attracted to?” Kei did not miss the amusement in his eyes there. 

“Yes. Marufuji Ryou is an agent of Fusion, sent here to dispose of as many of the professional duelists as possible, to keep the conquest from being resisted.” Kei twitched his tail again. He wanted to say that he still didn’t think Ryou was a bad person, just misguided and in some ways confused. But now wasn’t the time. 

Again the two exchanged glances and the Firestarter spoke up. “Is Mizael all right?” 

Kei definitely scented worry there. This person knew Mizael? He breathed in and could detect a whiff of a familiar scent. He’d caught this aroma before, probably in Mizael’s apartment. A person to trust, then. 

“When last I saw him, yes.” His claws dug into the ground. “I have to go and speak to the other Cats of Heartland.” 

The silver haired one nodded, gesturing. “You do what you can. So will Durbe and I.” 

Kei nodded, then hurried along, heading for the nearest nest for Healer Cats and Fire Cats. They all had a great deal of work to do. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** We’re almost to the invasion! And things are not good for Ryou.


	12. Chapter 12

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Kei (OC), Yuuri, Ryou, Dennis|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Twelve|| **Words:** 3,109|| **Total:** 36,723  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Kei paused outside of Ryou’s apartment, sniffing the air and murmuring to the plants. What had they seen? What could they tell him? 

Not nearly enough. Ryou hadn’t been outside since he came back the night before. But someone had been in there, someone the native plants didn’t like at all. That was Yuuri, he suspected. 

The air could tell him little more. Ryou's scent hung clear in the air, but it wasn’t as fresh as it would be if he were there. Hours old, at least. There was another scent as well. That one was probably Yuuri. It tasted much the same as the flytrap, only more human. 

And a bit of something else as well. That he wasn’t sure of, though it felt oddly familiar. He would have to figure this out. 

For now, though, he leaped up to the balcony and scrambled his way inside, looking around and sniffing thoroughly for any clues. 

What he saw chilled him to the bone. The room held almost nothing. No sign of the flytrap or Ryou or Yuuri. Their scents weren’t as strong – they’d been gone for hours. Where they’d gone Kei had no idea. 

Slowly he cast back and forth, but there wasn’t anything else. All he could find that held any extra scent were the cards Ryou got out of the packs he’d bought from Mizael’s shop. Kei sniffed those – Ryou hadn’t touched them in hours as well. 

“Nova,” he called, “are you there?” Faster to do it this way than to try and paw through all the cards. Had Ryou taken Cyber Dragon Nova with him or not? 

A shimmer of spirit appeared before him – Cyber Dragon Nova. His head was down, his frill withdrawn. 

“I tried, Kei,” he murmured, scales clanging against one another. “But neither of them could see me or hear me. I couldn’t do _anything_.” 

Kei leaped onto the couch and stared at Nova. “Tell me what happened,” he ordered. If Nova had been human, he might well have been weeping. But the Cyber Dragon line didn’t shed tears. 

“After you left, Ryou went somewhere.” Nova reported. “He used a Duel Disk I haven’t seen before. He made sure to leave me and the other cards here. I don’t know what happened while he was gone, but a short time afterward, he came back. He fell down when he did and didn’t move.” Slowly Nova’s tail twitched. “I tried to call you but you weren’t anywhere around.” 

Then he drew in a deep breath. “That other Healer showed up. The one who isn’t quite human – with purple hair and a dragon’s heart.” 

Oh. Interesting. Kei hadn’t thought of Yuuri like that before but when he reconsidered the times he’d seen him before – he could understand it. He nodded for Nova to continue. 

“He picked Ryou up and put him on the couch, then grew out the flytrap and used it to tie him up. Ryou didn’t wake up until close to morning.” Nova’s tail twitched back and forth. “The Healer mentioned that he’d used Firedamp on Ryou.” 

It was just as well that there weren’t any humans in the room. What Kei said wasn’t spoken in any human language. But the emphasis would have made it clear regardless. 

“Is there anything else that they said?” Kei wanted to know. “And where did they go?” 

“Back to Fusion,” Nova reported. “They’re going to come back so Yuuri can duel Mizael, however. Yuuri said he’s going to card him regardless. Whatever that means. And you too.” 

Kei’s claws flexed in and out. _Firedamp. Not good._ He’d known from the moment he laid eyes on Ryou that the Firestarter could become a Frostflame with the right incentive. He might even survive the process. Firedamp not only shorted out a Firestarter’s flames but increased the chances that a Firestarter could frost over – while dropping their chances of living through it. 

He wasn’t worried about being carded. He’d managed to spy on Ryou doing it and he didn’t think there was a Cat born that couldn’t evade that. Ryou remained more important. 

_I can’t get to Fusion. I have to talk to Mizael again._ He couldn’t be certain what Ryou wanted or didn’t want right now. Nova didn’t understand enough about humans to be able to tell him what Ryou was _thinking_ and that would make the difference. Had Ryou been bound because he tried to flee or was it something he’d consented to? 

Had they returned to Fusion to avoid Mizael here or so Ryou couldn't have a chance to flee? Kei didn’t like not knowing this. He believed with all of his heart that Ryou was a good person. What he didn’t know was if Ryou knew how good of a person he was. 

He regarded the cards carefully before he carefully took two of them in hi mouth. If he hated anything about being a Cat and not a human, it was the lack of opposable thumbs. With Cyber Dragon Nova and Cyber Dragon Drei, he leaped out the window and headed towards Mizael. 

* * *

Ryou kept scraping, reaching for the tiniest flicks of flame, anything that would help him get out of the vines’ grip. But there wasn’t even a hint of the flames anymore. Just the aching cavern of emptiness that filled him ever since he woke from Yuuri’s nasty drugs. 

As if that weren’t bad enough, his head throbbed to the point he found himself quite grateful that Yuuri never yelled at him. Of course, those soft words were laced with poison of a different kind as the hours ticked by. 

“You don’t _really_ think either one of them are going to want anything to do with you, do you?” Yuuri murmured from where he sat, one arm slung around Ryou’s shoulders. The fingers of his other hand brushed through Ryou’s head over and over. The remains of a fine meal rested on the nearby table. 

To anyone else watching, it would have been a perfect scene of Firestarter and Healer domesticity. Ryou ached to get out of there, to feel the flames burst to life inside of himself once more. 

Yuuri tapped him gently. “Answer me,” he murmured, just the faintest hint of sternness in his tone. 

Ryou knew the answer that Yuuri expected to hear. He knew what everyone else in Fusion would give. He knew also what he wanted to believe. Those two answers remained opposite from one another. 

“They won’t,” he said. “They’ll hate me because of what I did.” He’d done the Fusion dimension proud. Yuuri said so. The Professor said so. He’d believed it – up until a point. Up until the Professor so casually decided that he could have his memories torn away for no reason whatsoever. 

That made no sense to him. He’d been a loyal soldier all these years. The Professor even seemed willing to accept Mizael – with restrictions. But to card Kei? That didn’t make sense. 

The restrictions that would be placed on Mizael sort of did. But Ryou didn’t want those restrictions placed. He wanted to speak to Mizael, to explain things to him, to let him make his own decisions. He'd not be Mizael otherwise. 

Again Yuuri’s fingers brushed through Ryou’s hair, pulling his thoughts away from Mizael. Yuuri never let him think of the other Healer for very long. 

“How very true. And you did enjoy what you did so much. And what you’re going to do. I have such plans for you. Whether or not we bond.” He chuckled. “Remember what I said about the Professor? We’re still going to do that.” 

Ryou didn’t dare to say it out loud, but he knew what Yuuri meant. To kill the Professor – part of him shied away from the thought. He’d spent so long respecting the man and learning from him. 

And yet another part yearned to have his flames back so he could set Akaba Leo _on fire_. The casual way he dismissed Cats, how readily he intended to strip Ryou’s memories, and Ryou didn’t even want to think about what he’d really wanted of Mizael. 

“This is all for your own good, after all. I saw those cards you had back there.” Again his fingers played through Ryou’s hair, so soft, far too soft, his words whispering deep into Ryou’s ears. “It’s bad enough that _Dennis_ learned how to use XYZ and he needed that for his mission. You didn’t and you still had some? Unforgivable.” Soft fingers pressed against the side of his neck and Ryou jerked hard, eyes going wide at the jolt of pain. “But I will forgive you, because I wasn’t there to keep you on the right path. Bond or no bond, you have tasks to do that only I can guide you in.” 

Ryou shuddered; there had always been an element of pleasure in pain for him. He'd tried very hard to keep it from most people, but Yuuri always knew what Ryou didn’t want him to know. 

He wanted his flames back. He wanted to hear the laughter of the fire and feel it dance along his skin and inside of his blood. But no matter how hard he tried, that emptiness didn’t change. 

Ryou closed his eyes again, trying to at least rest. He wasn’t sure what all of the effects of Firedamp were, but he didn’t seem to have that much energy. He could move around if he really put in the effort, but actually dragging up the energy to do so seemed beyond him most of the time. He didn’t feel hungry – he ate because Yuuri insisted, not because he had an actual appetite. What he really wanted to do was sleep. 

Instead he dragged his eyes open and drew in a deep breath. “Why – am I so tired?” Yuuri would probably know. He wasn’t sure of how much it mattered, except that it might give him an idea of when he _wouldn’t_ feel so drained. 

“I suspect it’s because of the drug I used to knock you out and the Firedamp.” Yuuri actually seemed pleased that he’d asked the question. “They’re interacting. I wonder what else they’ll do to you.” He tilted his head to examine Ryou. “You’re going to tell me everything about how you feel.” 

“Right now?” Ryou snorted at that. “Tired.” 

Yuuri chuckled. “Then go to sleep. I’ll wake you when it’s time to eat again. There’s nothing else you need to do for now.” 

There was that part of him that didn’t want to do what Yuuri said. But as much as he disliked it, there were few Firestarters who could resist a Healer’s orders when given in such a tone. It would have helped if he were bonded to someone else, but right now, he didn’t have that protection. 

He let his eyes close now, and wondered if he would ever feel warm again. 

* * *

Yuuri thumbed through his PDA, searching for any interesting topics to keep his attention as he whiled away the time until he needed to return to XYZ and watch the invasion begin. Oh, how he looked forward to _that_. 

If he could have, he would have popped over to Standard or Synchro and found a few low-level duelists that could serve a useful purpose in becoming a part of Super Fusion. But he didn’t want to take the chance on missing the invasion, let alone leaving Marufuji behind unsupervised. 

He glanced down at the sleeping Firestarter, more than a little amused at how peaceful he looked. There weren’t many people who looked that peaceful around him, let alone sleep near him. Granted, Marufuji didn’t exactly have any choices in that. 

With a twitch of his fingers he had the vines slowly pull away from Marufuji, leaving him somewhat free. It was safe enough; he would remain too drained of energy to run off anywhere when he woke up, and he knew better than to try and escape Yuuri in the first place. Or he should. If not – Yuuri would be pleased to teach him. 

A quiet tap came on the door. Yuuri raised one eyebrow. He didn’t get many visitors. He reached a thought to the plants that kept guard on his door, then rolled his eyes. 

“Come in, Dennis.” Yuuri ordered. Who else would it have been, really? 

Dennis strolled inside, waving his fingers at Yuuri as soon as he was in sight. “I thought you’d be getting ready for the fun stuff. It’s going to be tomorrow.” 

“I know.” Yuuri didn’t move from his spot on his comfortable couch. “But I have other matters to deal with.” 

Dennis blinked as he settled down in his usual chair. “You two aren’t bonding already, are you? I thought I heard something about Marufuji -” 

Yuuri silenced Dennis with a cut of his eyes. “No. We’re not. We’d be in my garden if we were.” The safest and best place to bond would always be the Healer's personal garden. There were other places, of course, but whenever he bonded, that was where it would happen. 

Dennis fidgeted. “So what are you two doing here, then?” 

“Right now, I’m keeping him out of trouble. He’s going to be memory wiped after the invasion is settled.” Yuuri wasn’t going to let the scientists do that if he didn’t have to. He had his own methods to make Marufuji more biddable. “He was a little too attached to XYZ.” 

That got an eyebrow raised from Dennis. “Oh?” 

Yuuri snorted at his expression. “Not like you. He was actually developing _feelings_ for one of those Healer duelists. He wanted one of them spared because he _likes_ them, not because they're good duelists. _And_ he was starting to get connected to one of those Healer Cats.” His lip curled. “The Professor won’t allow that and neither will I.” 

Dennis nodded slowly. “Makes sense.” 

Yuuri suspected Dennis didn’t think that it made as much sense as all that. But Dennis at least knew when to shut up and let smarter people do the thinking. 

“Now, did you just come here for gossip or did you want something important?” 

To his credit, Dennis didn’t fidget. He merely shrugged. “Gossip, mostly. There’s not much else for either of us to do until the invasion gets started.” 

That was a bit more true than Yuuri would have liked it to be. Dennis had already completed the basic part of his task by finding the girl that the Professor wanted – with the pleasant added bonus of finding another Firestarter for Yuuri to potentially play with. 

“Have you found out anything else about that Firestarter?” Yuuri wanted all the information before he did anything. It so helped to know his prey’s weaknesses before he struck. 

Dennis examined the fingers of his left hand. “A few things. I don’t think he’s quite as prone to enjoying pain as Marufuji there.” 

The side of Yuuri’s mouth twitched. “Not yet, anyway.” He did rather like that about Marufuji. Having someone around who thoroughly enjoyed the pain he could put them through made everything that much better. He wasn’t sure if it would be more entertaining if they _wanted_ to enjoy it or not. 

That was something he would have to find out. He looked forward to that as well. 

“Anything else?” He knew that it would be easier to snatch the girl up in the chaos that would follow the invasion. He hadn’t made his mind up on when he wanted to take his own prize. He’d probably end up taking the girl first, if only so the Professor would not pester him. 

He already had too much that he didn’t want the Professor to know about. His work in creating Super Fusion, the real purpose he wanted to use Marufuji for, his plans for the boy from XYZ. Part of him wondered if he wanted to kill the Professor just to eliminate the sense of the man looking over his shoulder. 

Not that it mattered. He would kill him no matter what. 

* * *

Once again Kei squirmed his way into Mizael’s apartment. He set the cards he carried down on the nearest flat surface and sniffed. 

“We have to talk,” he declared. “It’s about Ryou.” 

Mizael turned towards him. “What?” His voice was a trifle clipped and as Kei came over, he saw him looking over his deck. “Did he come back?” 

“No. That’s the problem. Yuuri took him to Fusion, or so I guess.” He crossed over to sit near Mizael and told him what Cyber Dragon Nova had reported. Mizael listened quietly the whole way before he picked up the two cards. 

Nova appeared at once; Drei hadn’t yet properly gained awareness, though both of them could feel the spirit sleeping in the card. Nova’s frill remained down, as did his head. 

“So what do we do?” Mizael wondered. “Tomorrow is when I duel Yuuri – and when the invasion is going to start.” 

Kei wasn’t going to tell what he’d done at the Night Garden. Mizael would want to keep himself as far from that as possible. Though the trees and grass and flowers all whispered of danger and caution even now. The Healers and Firestarters who were also duelists slowly prepared themselves. 

But would they be enough? Even if they were, would they be strong enough? 

That Kei didn’t know. 

“He’s going to be there when the duel happens,” Kei said at last, his tail twitching as he considered all of their options. “Until we see him then and there, we can’t know what he really wants to do. We might not be able to even then. But that’s the only chance we have to see him.” 

Mizael nodded slowly, lips pressed together. Then he turned back to the cards set out there. “I’ve been trying to come up with some sort of strategy to negate what Yuuri might try. But I haven’t been able to think of much.” 

Nova spoke up quietly. “I know a few things. The Cyber Dragon line – the oldest of us are Fusion monsters. I’ve talked to them. I know ways to nullify Fusion summoning.” Slowly his tail twitched. “I don’t know what Yuuri uses, but if I can help, I will.” 

Mizael reached out and rested one hand on Nova’s head, at least as much as he could when the spirit remained insubstantial. “What can you tell me?” 

As the two of them got into strategy and deck-building, Kei relaxed. He would go out later to talk to his fellow Cats, but for now, he needed rest of his own. So much bordered on beginning. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** So close to important things happening!


	13. Chapter 13

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
**Characters:** Yuuri, Ryou, Mizael, Kei (OC), Rio|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
**Chapter:** Thirteen|| **Words:** 3,056|| **Total:** 39,779  
**Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
**Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
**Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
**Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
**Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Something wasn’t right. Ryou couldn’t entirely drag his mind out of the sludge and miasma that wrapped around him the moment that he opened his eyes again, hearing Yuuri’s summons back to wakefulness, but he remained aware of some of what was going on around him. At Yuuri’s command, he’d eaten and changed into a clean Fusion uniform. 

“Why this?” He managed to ask. It didn’t feel as comfortable as it had before. A little tight here, a little loose there. Perhaps he’d gained weight? 

Yuuri crossed his arms over his chest. “Because I said for you to wear that. I want them to see you as you truly are. Eventually.” He tossed something towards Ryou. “Put this on over it.” It was a hooded cloak, the edges of which came down to his ankles, woven of fine wool, dyed the same deep blue as the blue of his uniform. 

“Pull the hood up,” Yuuri ordered. “And keep it up until I tell you otherwise.” 

“Why?” Ryou pulled the word out of the depths of his throat. He already pulled the cloak on and tugged the hood into place, blocking a large part of his forward vision. 

“Because that’s what I want,” Yuuri said, slipping his hand to the back of Ryou’s head and tilting so that their eyes met. “And isn’t what I want the most important factor here?” 

Ryou could not answer to that. Or rather he would not, not of his own will. He tensed, waiting for Yuuri to force it out of him. Instead, the Dark Healer only smiled, his hand still firm on the back of Ryou’s head. 

“Come along. Keep quiet unless and until I tell you to be otherwise. Don’t drop the hood until I tell you to do so.” 

Ryou had never had a problem with the ability that Healers had to command Firestarters. He’d grown up knowing that Firestarters needed that kind of balance in their lives, to avoid their powers going out of control. But the more Yuuri ordered him around, the less he wanted to _be_ ordered around. And the less he could do about it. 

Together they teleported to the XYZ dimension, right into the center of Heartland. Yuuri gestured to one of the benches as soon as they arrived. 

“Take a seat and wait for the show,” he commanded. Ryou settled himself down at once, eyes flicking here and there. No one seemed to have noticed their arrival. No one even seemed to be watching them. 

In fact, that was part of what bothered him about all of this. Usually duelists filled this area with their laughter and moans of frustration, fierce battles raging everywhere, visible only to those who used D-Gazers. Now seemed especially quiet. This was a weekend morning. 

That wasn’t right at all. 

Yuuri picked up on it as well. He stood with his arms crossed, scanning the area, frown on his lips. He muttered something Ryou didn’t catch under his breath. 

_Where are they?_ Ryou wondered. He couldn’t see much from where he sat, thanks to the hood. But then Yuuri straightened himself up and his smile broke out, bright as the sunrise and wicked as sin. 

“So you’re finally here,” he declared. “I thought you weren’t going to make it. What a shame that would have been.” 

For the first time since Yuuri’s drug hit his system, warmth filled Ryou when he heard the answer. 

“I have stakes of my own for this duel,” Mizael spoke. “When I win, you release Marufuji to me.” 

Yuuri tilted his head. “Now why would you want him? You know he belongs to Fusion. It’s not as if he’s _brainwashed_.” He waved one hand. “But that does remind me. Come here.” 

Those last two words were absolutely addressed to Ryou, so he stood and came over to Yuuri’s side. 

“Take it off,” Yuuri ordered, all but cooing the words. “Let them see who you really are.”” 

Ryou unfastened his cloak and let it drop at once. He could see both Mizael and Kei there, and they stared at him. His heart wrenched at the looks in their eyes. He said nothing, though. Yuuri’s orders still kept him silent. 

“Now that we’ve done that, go and sit down again. Wait until I’ve finished this.” Yuuri licked his lips, eyes glimmering in delight. “It won’t take me that long.” 

Mizael raised his duel disk. “I wouldn’t be so certain. 

And the duel began. 

From where he sat, Ryou could see it all. And he also could see beyond them. The longer he sat there and the more the duel pushed back and forth, the more he became aware of exactly what was going on. 

_There are duelists. They’re just – waiting._

Somehow, someone had gotten the word out. Mizael or Kei or someone else, the Healers and Firestarters of Heartland stood ready. 

_It won’t be enough._ Ryou knew how Fusion fought their battles. It wasn’t just dueling, though that was enough to terrify most people who weren’t used to it. He knew what was coming and he wished that he’d dared to tell Mizael beforehand. Whatever they knew, it wasn’t enough. It could never be enough. 

His attention drew back to the duel. It seemed Mizael had modified his deck to be more anti-Fusion – probably a good thing in the days to come. He and Yuuri were almost tied in life points, with Jinlong on Mizael’s field and Yuuri’s looking empty save for two face-downs. Ryou knew the setup; if – when – Mizael attacked, Yuuri would activate one of those cards to summon one of his most powerful monsters. It might not be his ace – Yuuri didn’t like to use his ace for just any duel – but it would be more than enough to drag the duel out another few rounds. Might even be enough to win. 

_I don’t want him to win._ Ryou formed the thought and examined it thoughtfully. It was true. Extremely true. He wanted nothing more to do with Yuuri or Fusion. 

Yet he knew Yuuri’s skill far too well. If anyone had ever defeated him, Ryou didn’t know about it himself. 

Mizael drew in a breath, raised his hand, and pointed to Yuuri. “Battle phase! Jinl-” 

“Stop.” 

Mizael, Yuuri, and Kei all turned at the unexpected word. Ryou struggled to his feet, dragging in breath after breath. 

“Stop the duel.” He forced the words out, straining against the invisible bonds of Yuuri’s commands. “Stop now.” 

Yuuri’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t remember telling you to say anything. This duel isn’t over.” 

Mizael eyed him. “Why do you want us to stop?” 

Yuuri shook his head. “Sit back down and stay quiet. It’s almost over.” 

Ryou’s first instinct remained to do what he was told. He could feel his legs wanting to put him back down. He and Yuuri were attuned to one another – some called it pre-bonding. He fought hard to shake it off, wanting to express what he wanted. 

A soft bump against the side of his leg cleared his mind. He looked down to see Kei looking up at him, gray eyes that reminded him so much of Shou. 

“What is it?” Kei asked, the words clearing away the last of the cobwebs that clogged his mind. 

Ryou glanced at the two duelists. “What I want is for you to be cautious, Mizael. Those face-downs of his are dangerous.” 

Yuuri’s eyes flickered in rage. Ryou caught sight of them looking more like dragon’s eyes than human. “Sit down. Be quiet. You’ll only watch this duel, Marufuji Ryou. It’s almost over – and so is everything else.” 

Mizael turned his attention to the cards on the field, then examined the ones in his hand. “From my hand, I activate-” 

And then the world changed. Forever. In the wide open area normally filled with duelists having a fantastic time, the air itself split apart. A shriek fit to raise the dead tore through the area, and every duelist there turned towards where the noise came from. 

From the center of the hole there came people, hundreds if not thousands of them marching through. Ryou recognized the uniform – the army of Fusion. 

Mizael’s gaze stuttered between Ryou and the army, then settled back on Ryou. 

“I don’t think we’re going to finish this duel,” he said quickly. “We’ve got a world to defend.” 

Yuuri snorted. “So you surrender?” He started to raise his duel disk in a motion far too familiar to Ryou. “So be it, then.” 

Ryou moved. He wasn't sure how he made it that fast, but he did. He stood before Mizael and raised his arms. 

“You’re not going to card him,” Ryou declared. He strained for the fires inside of himself and found nothing at all. That didn’t stop him from trying, though. 

No fires. No flames at all. But on the very edges of his awareness, where the fires had been, he could feel something else. 

Ice. Ice he’d never felt or imagined before but there it was, creeping around the edges of that hole inside of him where the flames had been. 

He remembered what Kei told him. That he could become a Frostflame. He hated the very thought of it. He was a Firestarter, first of Duel Academia, and the flames had burned strongly in his family for as far back as they knew. 

He could not frost over. He would not. But there it was, regardless. 

Yuuri didn’t seem to notice anything other than Ryou standing in front of Mizael. “What do you think you’re doing? Get back over here.” 

Ryou grit his teeth. “No.” 

All around them, shrieks of rage and cackles of combat rose. The Fusion army summoned monsters; unlike what XYZ used, they were more than just holograms. They weren't _real_ , not like what the legendary spirits were, but they were solid and to a degree intelligent. One didn’t need D-Gazers to see them. 

Lasers began to blast, buildings exploding all around them. Fires flew in every direction, some of them from Firestarters, some not. Vines and tree branches whipped here and there, as did tentacles of various kinds of monsters. In moments half of the area remained in ruins and combat raged in the other half. 

Yuuri moved faster than Ryou would have expected. One hand closed firmly on Ryou’s wrist and Yuuri’s eyes widened for a moment. Ryou wasn’t sure of why. But at the same time he touched, Yuuri hissed, “Stop this nonsense and come along with me.” 

With Yuuri’s hands on him, even having Kei there wasn’t enough to get Ryou to stay focused. His shoulders slumped and his eyes glazed over. The ice seemed as far away as the fires did. Yuuri yanked him closer and the world around them faded to nothing. 

* * *

Mizael wasn’t often one to swear. But as the other two vanished, he spat out one or two, just to vent his frustration. They’d been so _close_ to getting Ryou away from Yuuri. They could've had time to _talk_ and figure out things. 

But now they had to deal with this invasion. He could see three of the Fusion people marching towards him, each with their own monsters by their sides. It was strange enough to see the monsters and to know that there weren’t any spirits there. 

Jinlong hovered next to him. “Take one of their duel disks,” the dragon advised, “and use it to call me out.” 

Under most circumstances, that would have seemed like madness to him. But now that he could see what was going on, Mizael understood. With their duel disks, summoning their monsters wouldn’t have the same weight and force as Fusion's. Right now Fusion had the advantage. Time to change that. 

He quickly reshuffled his deck; the duel against Yuuri counted as a no result. He still couldn’t be sure if his quickly cobbled together strategy would have been enough to win, but now something more important called. 

He met the gaze of the first one in line, who had a fierce dragon hovering over them. Mizael took the time to admire the beautiful creature before he returned his attention to the approaching duelist. That one’s duel disk would be his once this fight ended. 

“So you think you’re a dragon duelist?” Mizael smiled a dragon’s smile of his very own. “I’m Mizael. Dragon master duelist of Heartland City. Let’s duel.” 

* * *

All over the city battle broke out. That one entryway had only been the first. Other gates opened up and more warriors poured through, some riding flying monsters, some taking to the rivers, others striding across the land. One battalion targeted the Healer-tended gardens, knowing that any Healer left something of themselves in those, and could best be disabled by burning those gardens. 

But that did not always turn out as well as they might have hoped. As one branch of the battalion approached the Night Garden, seven circles of fire and three of ice leaped into existence around it. 

“What’s this?” The leader muttered, glaring at the defenses. “They shouldn’t be able to do this!” 

“And why not?” A female voice asked. The battalion's gazes all tuned towards it. “Aren’t we allowed to defend what’s ours?” 

There in the door leading to the Night Garden stood a young woman with a fall of dark blue hair. Next to her stood another young woman, this one with long green hair and a very determined expression in her eyes as vines and branches coiled about her. 

“I am Kamishiro Rio, Frostflame of Heartland City, and _you will not pass_!” 

* * *

Yuuri all but threw Marufuji down onto the couch. If he could have sparked, he would have set his entire room afire with his anger. He wished right now that he could breathe fire. If it wouldn’t have harmed his garden, he would have called Starve Venom and let _him_ burn everything. 

He glared at the Firestarter, trying not to think of how _cold_ he’d been when his hand closed on Marufuji’s wrist. The drugs shouldn’t be responsible for that. 

“What did you think you were doing?” Yuuri bit the words off with frozen precision. “He’s _XYZ_. You’re _Fusion_. Now more than ever, the two of you are enemies.” 

Marufuji raised his head up. Yuuri hadn’t seen his eyes this clear or this cold – ever. “No.” 

“No?” Yuuri stared down at him. “What do you think you mean?” He really didn't want to stay here that much longer. He wanted to enjoy the chaos and confusion and damage that the invasion would cause. Maybe he wouldn’t find either of his two targets, but he would thoroughly enjoy the show before he got around to them. 

Slowly Marufuji began to sit up. Yuuri shook his head. He didn’t want him going anywhere right now. 

“I mean that I am not Mizael’s enemy.” The breath that Marufuji drew came from the deepest depths of himself and Yuuri could feel goose pimples rising. That wasn’t _right_. Marufuji was a Firestarter, not a - 

“Yes, you are. I know I haven’t given you anything to adjust your memories just yet. Have you forgotten where you come from?” 

Maybe the drugs and Firedamp did work together in stranger ways than he’d originally thought. 

But those cold eyes rose once more to meet his own. “Never. But I know where I am going, and it’s not here.” 

Not what he’d wanted to hear at all. He pressed his lips together and stalked a little farther away to where he kept some of the drugs he’d devised. He could hear Marufuji trying to get up, but he still didn’t seem to have enough strength to do so. 

“Stay where you are,” Yuuri snapped over his shoulder, pleased to hear the movements behind him stopping. He sorted through his drugs again, thinking. 

He hadn’t wanted to start the memory wipe so soon. To some degree he hadn’t wanted to do it at all. He’d hoped that Marufuji would see sense, apologize for his insubordination, and commit to being what he’d been trained to be – Yuuri’s Firestarter and a soldier of Fusion. 

Now it looked like that wasn’t going to happen. Well enough. He could at least make something worthwhile out of this whole situation. 

He would take Marufuji to the scientists if he needed to. But first he had his own methods to try out. He’d toyed with an elixir that would utterly wipe someone’s memory for a while now. It really did need a good test subject, and while he’d meant to pick some random person from one of the other dimensions, now was as good a time as any to try it out. 

When he poured the dosage into a cup, he admired the shimmering green concoction with a careful eye. He’d never tasted it but it smelled delicious, at least by his standards. Now he brought it back over to where Marufuji struggled against his command. 

_Such a good thing I went to all the trouble of attuning to him before all of this._ If Marufuji had actually tried to attune to someone else, then this would be far more difficult than it was now. For that matter, he wasn’t sure of how Marufuji had broken out of the daze earlier. He would have to check on that. He had seen that disgusting Cat there. Maybe that had something to do with it. 

But never again. He tipped up Marufuji’s head and brought the cup to his lips. “Time for a drink,” he sang softly. “And then everything’s just going to go away. You won’t miss any of it.” 

Marufuji started to shake his head. Yuuri tsked. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I’d drink this right down and then go to sleep. Because if you don’t, then my garden is getting a new load of mulch – by the name of _Shou_.” 

Oh, he’d not seen that level of fear in someone's eyes for such a long time. He chuckled as Marufuji parted his lips, then carefully poured the elixir down his throat. Marufuji choked, but swallowed, getting it all down. He trembled after a few moments, his eyes trying to close even as he fought to keep them open. 

“Go to sleep,” he ordered. “And you’ll wake up a new person.” 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Okay, the invasoin has begun, Ryou is ready to choose sides, and Yuuri is being – Yuuri. Also, the first taste of ice. A change has begun...


	14. Chapter 14

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Kurosaki Shun, Kei (OC), Vector|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Fourteen|| **Words:** 3,157|| **Total:** 42,936  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

It wasn’t enough. As hard as the people of Heartland City tried, their efforts to push back the invading forces of Fusion just weren’t enough. There was one simple reason for that – Fusion’s army had so many different decks and every monster, spell, and trap in those decks could take weight in the physical world in the way that the holograms that the people of Heartland used couldn’t. 

Within the first hour of the invasion, a shimmering barrier circled all the way around the city. None of the defenders were certain which card this was but it prevented communications to the outside world. No one could pass through it from either side. Heartland was on its own. 

There were other reasons as well. The armies that entered through the gateways weren’t the only ones there. At every center of defense – police stations, city hall, fire stations – it was later discovered that Fusion agents slipped into the area and on the signal, summoned their monsters and unleashed all manner of hell there. 

Within days the rumors of what happened to those defeated spread. They became cards. Those cards were gathered up and no one knew what happened to them after that. 

But what else happened was far, far worse. Carding happened to those who fought back and some who tried to flee. But for those who were in other positions… 

Mizael crouched behind a pile of rubble. He wasn’t sure of what the rubble had been before but now it gave him a place to watch what was going on. The city train whooshed by on the tracks, packed to the brim with refugees from one of the wealthier areas of the city. Those areas weren’t so wealthy right now. A contingent of Fusion warriors rendered virtually every area there into wreckage and ruins. 

Now Mizael waited for them to arrive to escort them to one of the safe areas. There weren’t a lot of those. He stayed at the Night Garden – the safest of those areas. They were running out of space there as well. 

The young man next to him shifted, staring at the train as it drew closer to the battered stop. In days gone by it would have been full of people waiting to meet new arrivals or others waiting for their own ride to elsewhere. Now it was just the two of them, keeping hidden in the heart of a grove of trees. 

Every tree, bush, and flower that still lived in Heartland wept in their own fashion for what happened. Mizael hadn’t touched every garden in the city but he could feel the ones that he had, and so many of them suffered now. Some of them were razed to the ground or pumped full of energy to the point they couldn’t survive. It made him sick just to exist near them right now. 

Around his waist there now rested a red scarf. In the past few days it had become a symbol of the Resistance, as they referred to themselves. Even those who had never been inclined to wear accessories before now sported one. He’d picked his up out of some rubble. It hadn’t had any stains on it, aside from rock dust. Better than some he’d seen… 

“They’re stopping,” his companion murmured. Mizael didn't remember his name. He’d been sent out with others who didn’t always make it back. It didn’t always seem worth it to try and remember them. 

This one did seem tougher than most of them, or perhaps with the potential to be tougher. He stayed where he was, even as he watched the train, muscles tensed and ready to leap out at a moment's notice. Mizael put his age probably at thirteen or fourteen – tall for his age, with a shock of blue-green hair, and eyes that reminded him of those of raptors. 

He didn’t deserve to be in this. None of them did, but children like this least of all. 

The doors hissed open and someone serving the role of conductor – even if they weren’t actually one – stepped outside and started to wave everyone out. Mizael and his companion – Kurosaki, that was his name – rose up and took two steps forward. 

That was all they had time to take before a far too familiar sound echoed – a duel disk opening up – and a thrilled voice spoke. 

“I activate Fusion from my hand! Using Iron Tool and Burning Soldier, I Fusion Summon Bomb Phoenix, the Heavy Bombardment Bird!” 

Above them all there suddenly rose a black-feathered bird larger than anything that Mizael had seen short of Jinlong. Wrapped in blazing fire, it screeched a challenge towards the train, claws stretched outward. Down below, the Fusion soldier who summoned it laughed. 

“Destroy it! Wreck it all! Now!” 

Again the bird shrieked in awful cadences of rage and hate, and Mizael could hardly breathe. Two things struck him harder than any other. Unlike most of the monsters summoned by Fusion, this one had a soul as well as mass – a soul as dedicated to destruction as the one who wielded it. 

And the one who wielded it was a Firestarter. 

Kurosaki’s own breath caught in his throat. Mizael tried to steady himself, his head spinning a little as the creature drew its head back and blasted a powerful spray of fire at the train. The shrieks and cries of pain blotted out everything for a breath before they were blotted out as well by the shrieks of Bomb Phoenix and the blast of fire-seared air as claws dug into the train and crushed it. 

It didn’t just dig into the train, though. Mizael jerked his head away, shaking. Every instinct he owned demanded that he get over there and help them and he couldn’t. There wasn’t anyone left to help. 

“Mom – Dad-” Kurosaki whispered two broken words as he stared at the wreckage. The Fusion soldier laughed before he turned and spied them. He blinked a little. 

“Looks like I missed a few.” His smile spoke of a degree of madness that Mizael hadn’t ever seen before. He stared intently at Mizael, then all but licked his lips. “A Healer? Oh, this is going to be fun.” 

Mizael started to take a step back. He’d never backed away from a duel in his entire life and he really didn’t want to now. But seeing this person sickened him, and he didn’t want to be any closer than he had to be. 

“Not interested,” he managed to snap. He hadn’t met a Firestarter or Fire Cat that he wanted to bond to. He tried very hard to ignore the far too vivid memories of Marufuji Ryou. It had only been a week – maybe a bit more. Time blurred together after a while. 

The Firestarter Fusion warrior stepped closer. “Well, I’m interested in _you_.” 

Oh, no. This was not what he wanted at all. Before he could bring up so much as a branch in defense, another figure stepped before him. His shoulders shook with rage, his eyes blazed, and fire dripped from his fingertips. 

“You killed my parents,” Kurosaki Shun whispered, fire lacing every word that he spoke. Something deeper and darker than flames moved behind those words as well. “You won’t get away with that.” 

The Firestarter barely glanced at Shun, his attention all on Mizael. “Get over here.” 

“Not a chance.” Mizael growled. Now more than ever he regretted what he’d learned too late – that those duel disks had a self-detruct option. When he’d fought that Fusion soldier on the first day and defeated him, his opponent made certain to set off the self-destrct before Mizael could claim the prize. He _wanted_ one of those duel disks, wanted to be able to summon his creatures, especially right now. Jinlong fumed in his ear, using words Mizael didn’t understand and wondered about asking the meaning of later. 

The Firestarter began to laugh. He didn’t have a chance to laugh for very long, not when a long, thick lash of fire spiraled outward from Kurosaki and slapped across his face. There wasn’t much fire that could hurt even the weakest of Firestarters, but this one fell backwards, shrieking in pain. 

Kurosaki gave Mizael a look. “Get back to base,” he said, sounding a great deal older than he looked. “I’ll catch up later.” 

Mizael wasn’t going to argue that point, not right now. He vanished deeper into the copse of trees, branches hiding him quickly, and hurried along. Jinlong floated along beside him. 

“That’s a very good young Firestarter,” Jinlong declared. “But I think he’ll also need a strong Healer one of these days. He’s very close to frosting over.” 

Oh. That was what else he’d sensed. It wasn’t surprising. The boy had just seen his parents and who knew how many others perish in front of him. Other people had fallen into the frost under far less traumatic circumstances. They were probably all lucky that the area hadn’t been frozen already. 

Slowly he worked his way back to the Night Garden. It was a very different place from before. Now guards circled it, Firestarters and Healers, all of them duelists. Deep inside there were rows of tents, with those survivors who’d been gathered up living inside. The rescued Healers combined their powers and reworked which trees grew there, providing fruits and berries of many different kinds. A few animal herds – not many, there wasn’t nearly enough space for a lot – gathered there as well. Herds probably wasn’t the proper word; there were chickens, geese, a few ducks, and the odd quail. Mizael wasn’t sure where they’d all been before the invasion, but he was glad to see them now. They provided fresh eggs and occasionally meat, though everyone was cautious about killing them. Once killed, something could only be eaten once. Eggs could be provided every day. 

There were other gardens kept safe that had other small collections of animals – becoming miniature farms in the ruins of the city. Until they could find a way to get in touch with the outside world, this would have to be how they fed themselves. The food stocks from the grocery stores that hadn’t been eradicated already weren’t going to last forever. There were also tiny enclaves of survivors near the ocean, who managed to fish what they could out and get it to the inner parts of the city. 

Mizael came up to the guards at the entrance. They were older, probably had once been professional duelists, and now stood ready to give the alert if any of the Fusion warriors came closer. One of them eyed him. 

“Well?” Was all that he asked. Mizael shook his head. 

“Kurosaki will be coming back later,” he reported. “On his own.” Everyone knew that they’d been out to welcome the train in and bring in survivors. This guard’s lips thinned. 

“No one else?” 

“We were jumped while we were there. They destroyed the train,” Mizael told him. The guard turned away and Mizael tried not to think that he’d seen tears there briefly. With a wave of one hand, the guard allowed him entry. Mizael made his way inside as fast as he could. He didn’t know if anyone else was looking for anyone who might have been on the train. He just wanted to sit down and rest. 

He had a little tent. It was just big enough for him and for Kei. The Cat raised his head as Mizael entered to flop down on the thin pile of blankets. There were too many people here who needed blankets for most people to have more than two, one to lay on, the other to lay under. At least it wasn’t cold weather yet and Kei would make an excellent heater when it was, even if he wasn’t a Fire Cat. 

“Did you find out anything?” Kei wanted to know. Mizael sighed. 

“I haven’t yet seen a Firestarter from Fusion I would want to spend five minutes with.” So far he included Ryou in that number. He hadn’t seen Ryou since the other vanished with Yuuri. Surely if he _wanted_ to come back he would have found a way by now? Even if he’d been hit with Firedamp, it couldn’t last forever. Keeping a Firestarter drugged for too long would lead to very bad things. Yuuri had to know that. 

Which was why if Ryou hadn’t come back, it meant that Ryou didn’t want to come back. Maybe he and Yuuri had already bonded and were in that blissful time post bonding. Maybe Mizael hadn’t ever really meant anything to him after all. There had been that one moment when he stood between Yuuri and Mizael but then nothing. 

Kei brushed his head against Mizael’s hand, tail curling around his ankle. “We’ll find him soon.” 

Mizael just made a bland noise. Kei continued to advocate that Ryou would want to return and just couldn’t for some reason. Mizael let him believe that. It hurt nothing. 

“If he won’t come to us, then we’ll go to him,” Kei said. Mizael raised his head. 

“What are you talking about?” That was new. Kei had never said anything to that effect before. 

The Healer Cat stared at him with those bright gray eyes. “Just what I said. We can find a way to go to Fusion ourselves.” 

Mizael shook his head. “What in the world do you _men_?” For all that Cats held the sapience of humans, they didn’t think like humans, and sometimes it really showed. 

“The Fusion warriors jump back and forth with those duel disks of theirs. We capture one, find out how it works, and fit it into one of ours. Then we go there.” Kei said it as if it could be done in a single afternoon, perhaps just in a passing ten minutes. 

Mizael rubbed his eyes. He wasn’t even sure of how hungry he was, only that it was a great deal. That had to be why he was hearing that. “Kei…” 

Kei nudged him. “Go to sleep. I’ll take care of that part of it.” 

Then he slipped out of the tent. Mizael stared after him, shook his head, and curled up under his blanket. He’d figure out what was going on with that Cat when he had some sleep and food, and the sleep came first. 

* * *

Ogawa Nobutoshi watched as Dark Blaze Dragon amused himself tearing up on of the small gardens that the Resistance members had kept from them. He’d happened on this one by sheer chance, having just one guard there, and that one he’d managed to card when her back was turned. Now his favorite card burned everything in sight. 

_This has got to be what it’s like to be a Firestarter._ Ogawa wished all of his lief that he’d been born a Firestarter, to have that special spark inside of himself. But he’d never been able to so much as light a match. Using the deck that he did was the next best thing. 

“There are a lot of people who aren’t going to be very happy that you did this,” an unexpected voice said. Ogawa twitched around in time to see someone half-hidden in shadows, staring at him. 

His first thought was that it was one of those Cats. He’d heard rumors about the Cats, how they could talk like people and had the powers of Healers and Firestarters. They even wanted to steal the bonds between true Healers and Firestarters. The Professor had said it, so it was true. 

Then he got a better look at the shape and relaxed. Whoever it was, this was human. 

“Well, I’m not going to be here when they see it. Once Dark Blaze Dragon is done, I’m going back home.” Ogawa had taken a few pictures of his handiwork and looked forward to showing them to his friends who hadn’t had the chance to get out on the field. They were going to be so _envious_ of him! 

The stranger in the shadows strolled closer, coming out into the light. His bright orange hair stuck up like a carrot and his eyes gleamed a very wicked violet shade. He wore casual clothes, at least as casual as a black leather jacket could be. When he smiled, Ogawa had the feeling that this guy was about to go for his throat. 

“I don’t know. It depends on if I let you go home or not. And that depends on exactly what you can do for me.” 

Dark Blaze Dragon swooped down to hover over Ogawa. The stranger didn’t so much as look worried. “I can do that, too,” he said, and slapped a card don on his duel disk. Ogawa recognized it as one of theirs almost at once. He started to shape the question of where this stranger got it from when the card’s monster appeared in front of him. 

“I summon Gorgonic Cerberus! By its effect, I also summon Gorgonic Gargoyle!” His unexpected opponent grinned a feral grin. “And with the two of them together, I XYZ Summon Gorgonic Guardian!” 

Now before him there appeared a monster that Ogawa hadn’t ever seen before. He didn’t even have the words to describe it – vaguely female, with an odd headdress possessed of two bright glowing eyes that focused on Dark Blaze Dragon. 

“By removing one XYZ material, I can target one face-up monster on my opponent’s field. That would be you, in case you haven’t guessed. Your monster’s attack is now zero and any effects it has would be negated. But your little toothless dragon doesn’t have any effects, does it?” The smile was far too ferocious. “Now once per turn – I can target a monster that doesn’t have any attack and destroy it.” He raised one hand. “Gorgonic Guardian, take out that scaled lizard!” 

Beams of light shot forward from the mismatched eyes, wrapping all the way around his suddenly stoned dragon. In a breath, Dark Blaze Dragon exploded, and Ogawa stumbled backward, breath choked in his throat. This might not have been a clearly specified duel, but damage coursed through him regardless. If he didn’t find a way to defend himself, then he didn’t want to find out what would happen. 

“Now, that was just a demonstration. These disks of yours work just as well with our cards.” The stranger moved forward, one hand flashing forward to wrap around Ogawa’s throat and lift him up off the ground. “But I have something else I want and you’re going to make sure that I get it.” He laughed. “And in return, I might just let you live.” He leaned forward. “But don’t get attached to that.” 

Ogawa clawed at the hand around his throat and managed to squeak out a couple of words. He couldn’t be sure that they made sense, but his attacker must have heard something. 

“My name? Oh. It’s Vector.” 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Finally! I get Vector and Shun in the same chapter! Two of my favorite characters. How did Vector get a Fusion duel disk without it being self-destructed by the original owner? Chapter 18 will tell that tale!


	15. Chapter 15

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Ryou, Yuuri, Vector, Kei (OC)|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Fifteen|| **Words:** 3,091|| **Total:** 46,027  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Ryou wandered through the twining pathways of Yuuri’s favorite Garden. He knew he was watched wherever he went there, but that was all right. Yuuri watched him everywhere he went – around his neck there hung a pendent that Yuuri had made for him, which carried red salvia in it. A pre-bonding gift, or so Yuuri told him. 

Ryou didn’t have any reason to disbelieve him. Yuuri was possessive; he’d always known that. Yuuri helped him more than anyone else had. He’d gotten too involved in XYZ and Yuuri went to the trouble of wiping those memories away, restoring him to the perfect soldier of Fusion that he’d been raised to be. 

He raised one hand to rub at his forehead. He hated to even think about his time in that other dimension. He had few memories about it, mostly about the duels where he’d carded people. He knew that he’d done more;; he’d spent months there after all. Then something happened and Yuuri deemed it necessary to blank the memories. 

_What did I do?_ It didn’t feel right to not know. He’d never had to experience anything like this before. Yuuri refused to tell him anything more than _It doesn’t matter. Don’t stress about it. I took it all away._

Part of him wanted to go to XYZ. He knew the war raged there and so far it was going in Fusion’s favor. He knew that his mission contributed to that and he wanted to see what he’d done. 

Another part of him screamed that he wanted nothing to do with the place. Whatever he’d done there must have been horrible. 

He made his way back to where Yuuri lounged on his favorite stretch of moss, green and soft and comfortable, and settled down on the spot Yuuri kept for him. He hadn’t been there more than a few moments before Yuuri’s hand settled on the back of his head. He sighed and leaned into the touch. 

“And how are you feeling?” Yuuri murmured. “No more nightmares?” 

Over the last few nights, he’d had the most terrible nightmares every time he closed his eyes. They contributed to why his head tended to feel stuffed full of cotton. He slowly shook his head. “Not after what you did.” 

Yuuri’s smile gleamed warm and satisfied. “I thought that would do the trick. And you don’t remember anything about them?” 

“No. I know I dreamed something and I didn’t like it but it’s like remembering most of what happened in XYZ. Just that something happened. Not what.” Ryou leaned his head into Yuuri’s touch. He knew that the two hadn’t _officially_ decided to bond; Yuuri had someone else that he was eyeing. But until Yuuri made up his mind, he continued to favor Ryou above everyone else. 

Yuuri gestured to a plate on a small raised portion of the moss. “I had your dinner brought. Go ahead, eat.” 

Ryou started at once; Yuuri knew how to feed a Firestarter. Even one that hadn’t raised a spark of flame in days. Nor did the flames seem to call to him as they had before. He could somewhat feel the fire, but it wasn’t as close or as strong as it had been before. Had he somehow got hold of some Firedamp? 

He thought about asking Yuuri every now and then, but the thought had a tendency to fade away whenever he didn’t ask. It probably didn’t matter all that much. After all, he wasn’t at his best even now. It was only sensible that his power would be affected. 

Yuuri continued to caress Ryou’s hair as Ryou ate. Ryou couldn’t see his face, but he suspected the other would have that usual look of satisfaction. Feeling his fingers on him simultaneously made Ryou wanted to lean up against him and purr – a common reaction of any Firestarter to their Healer – and want to get up and flee. He fought towards the former reaction; there wasn’t any reason to avoid Yuuri. 

“Now, let’s review. What do you remember about your trip to XYZ?” Yuuri asked as Ryou finished the last of his dinner. Ryou settled in more comfortably and considered. This wasn’t the first time they’d done this. Most of it he knew because Yuuri told him; there wasn’t any real _remembering_ to it. 

“I was there for about three months. I couldn’t tell anyone where I was from, of course. I took a small room in an apartment building for Firestarters and Healers.” Something about that twitched at the back of his head, a vague thought about – a cat? He didn’t remember the last time he’d seen a cat. They were banned from the island; the Professor had allergies or something like that. Maybe there had been a stray in the area? 

Yuuri nodded quietly. “What else?” 

“I would challenge skilled duelists to duels and when I defeated them, I sealed them into cards. Their duel disks and decks were sent over along with the cards here, so that no one would be able to track them down.” That much he remembered fairly well. It seemed almost too vivid, but he remembered it. 

Yuuri nodded. “In fact, I managed to dig up one of them for you. We’ll have to return it later, but look.” A card lowered down in front of his face. “Do you remember this one?” 

Ryou frowned at it. A young man stared back at him from the card, dark of hair and eye, with one hand raised up to ward off something. “I don’t remember his name,” he said at last, “but I remember that I also carded his older sister. He came around looking for revenge.” 

“And you didn’t let him have it,” Yuuri approved, taking the card away. Ryou’s eyes followed it for a few seconds, and he thought the image blurred, that someone looked out from it that was blond instead of dark haired… 

He swallowed; it wasn’t good to see things. He opened his mouth to report this – Yuuri would know how to fix this, he was a Healer, after all – but the words never made it to his tongue. Instead, he just sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes. 

It wasn’t the first time that he’d felt like he’d seen someone where no one should be. He’d taken the same classes as everyone else; there were plenty of tales about how Duel Monsters had spirits but that no one these days could see or hear them. But those spirits always wanted to fight and so it was to a duelist’s best interests to commit to full combat, for their glory and the glory of the monsters they chose to fight alongside of them. 

Sometimes what he saw was the vague half-remembered image of a blue-eyed blond man. Sometimes it was a creature that looked as if it should be a part of the Cyber Dragon legacy. He knew that had to be something his mind conjured up;; he’d spent years at the dojo and he knew the Cyber Dragon archetype by heart. 

There were also times when he could have sworn that he saw a large cat staring back at him, with eyes much like Shou’s. And yet he knew that had to be just something his mind conjured up. He’d never seen a cat that large before. Cats shouldn’t come that large. 

He put all of that out of his mind in favor of a question that he wanted to ask. 

“Am I well enough yet to see Shou?” He hadn’t seen his brother since before he’d started his mission. The cat that didn’t exist – perhaps he’d remember something more if he saw Shou again. Or even better, he’d forget all about the cat. 

Yuuri considered. “Not quite yet. Do you remember anything else?” 

Ryou frowned at the question, prodding at his memories. “You came to visit me several times.” There was something there that he wasn’t remembering. Something that he _wanted_ to remember and couldn’t yet. 

“That’s right.” Yuuri encouraged. “Anything else?” 

A taste flickered over his tongue, something meaty. That wasn’t a surprise; Firestarters tended to eat a lot of meat. Had he – “Did we… go out to dinner there?” 

Yuuri didn’t respond. Ryou started to look up and caught sight of Yuuri looking a little perturbed. 

“Don’t confuse your dreams for reality,” Yuuri reproved ever so faintly. Ryou looked away. That had happened before. He didn’t want it to happen again. 

He raked at his thoughts over and over, but nothing else formed into a reliable memory. He shook his head and Yuuri’s hand pressed down on his shoulders again. 

“You’re getting tired. Here.” He offered a slender vial to Ryou. “Have your evening drink and get some rest. Maybe you’ll remember more tomorrow.” 

Ryou obediently drained the vial down. Ever since he’d come back to Fusion, Yuuri provided him with a vial and in the morning things were – different. Whatever it was, it helped unlock and lock certain memories. Ryou knew that he’d not been happy about that in the beginning, but now that he understood more, he accepted it. 

Before he drifted off, he got up and made his way into the more recessed areas of the Garden. That was where he slept; Yuuri wanted him to stay close as his treatment proceeded. He hadn’t even seen his own true quarters here since his return. 

Yuuri promised that he would once he was all the way recovered. Ryou trusted Yuuri. Yuuri would be his bonded Healer, or would find one for him. Yuuri was trying to help him. 

* * *

Yuuri’s lip curled as Ryou walked out of sight. He would enjoy it so much more when he didn’t have to continually tweak Ryou’s memories. What he _wanted_ he wasn’t having right now – Ryou shouldn't even be aware that there was a blank in his memories. He wanted to insert memories of the Cat and that other Healer, but tweaked to his specifications. 

Perhaps he’d have to ask for a little assistance from the Professor’s scientists. The elixirs that he used could suppress almost any memory – he’d had to twitch it carefully to ensure that Ryou only remembered events that he wanted. But to create full memories that would stand up to anything? That was a trifle out of his reach for now. 

He would decide that once he got hold of that Kurosaki Shun and made up his mind which of them he wanted for his Firestarter. Then he’d know _what_ memories he would want Marufuji to have. Or if he even wanted him to live at all. 

Satisfied, he leaned back into the embrace of his plants, considering his options for the rest of the day. He knew he needed to go to XYZ and pick up that girl for the Professor. That might also give him a chance to pick up his own prize as well. The elixir he’d given Marufuji would keep him asleep until the next day at the least. He didn’t like leaving the other here on his own, though. No one would dare wander into his Garden and Marufuji knew better than to try and wander out. 

But he had his work to do. He pulled himself to his feet. Before he could take more than a step or two, his head turned towards the entryway to the Garden. Someone stood out there – two someones, and one of them wasn’t native to Fusion. Or so the plants murmured to him. His eyes narrowed. 

“What do you want?” 

In answer came a laugh that Yuuri hadn’t ever heard before. But he did rather like the sound of it. 

“I want so many things. But at the top of the list is to talk to _you_.” 

Yuuri strolled his way to the Garden entrance. Out there stood two people, only one of them a Healer. He recognized the other one as being part of the army. Not a very useful part, but one all the same, and right now, he looked far more terrified of his companion than Yuuri. That seemed a little off to Yuuri himself. He set one hand on his hip and examined the newcomer. 

“What is an XYZ remnant doing here?” 

“I wouldn’t call myself a remnant. But we can argue over that another time.” The stranger smirked. “The name’s Vector and I’ve got a proposition for you.” 

Yuuri raised one eyebrow. “Really. And what might that be?” And why had this “Vector” brought it to him instead of to the Professor? 

“Very simple. I know where all the survivors of your invasion are hiding. I can take you there. For a price, of course.” 

Oh, now this was more and more interesting by the moment. “And what might that price be?” He still didn’t know why Vector hadn’t brought this to the Professor. But perhaps he would do so himself. 

“That I get to live here.” He waved a hand to indicate the world of Fusion itself, not just the Garden. “And I get to pick the Firestarter of my choice as well.” 

Yuuri’s lips twitched. “No one in XYZ that you want?” 

“Not really. They just don’t have the edge that appeals to me. I’m sure that you know someone who is a little more to my taste.” Vector shrugged. “Well? I hand you all the survivors on a plate and you give me a decent place to live and a Firestarter of my very own. What do you say?” 

Yuuri crossed his arms and drummed his fingers. “I say that we should take this to the Professor.” He waved one hand at the soldier who tried his best to blend into the nearest wall. “Go inform him that I require an audience and will be bringing a visitor from XYZ.” 

The soldier scurried away and Yuuri regarded Vector once it was just the two of them. He suspected they were going to get along very well. At least for as long as Vector survived. 

* * *

Kei prowled, sliding through the ruins of the city, ears and nose alert for any sign of a Fusion soldier. One of those would have a duel disk and that would allow him to get to that other dimension. 

Part of him mentally berated himself over now having figured out more sooner. He’d known that Ryou carded people, but he hadn’t put all the dots together until it was far too late. The idea that there could be an entire invasion of people who could use their cards hadn’t ever occurred to him. 

But he would do what he could to push this back. The other Healer Cats and Fire Cats worked with the humans to keep the survivors – not nearly as many as they’d hoped – alive and healthy and defended. And now he searched for a duel disk. 

It wasn’t easy to tell the difference between Fusion and XYZ people, but he could do it. It remained faint but there – much as he’d known there was something odd about Ryou that didn’t quite register as being from out of town. 

He worried about Ryou. He needed to find his Firestarter and ensure that he remained unhurt. With Yuuri involved, he couldn’t be certain of that. 

So he’d go to Fusion and find Ryou for himself. Then he’d bring him back to XYZ and drop him in front of Mizael and all of this would be sorted out once and for all. _Then_ they could get the rest of the Fusion army out of XYZ. 

Kei kept himself hidden as he stalked. He’d watched from hiding as Fusion warriors talked among themselves and he’d heard quite a few interesting things, such as the fact that they believed Fire Cats and Healer Cats “stole” the bonds between Healers and Firestarters. That could be useful. Or irritating; one couldn’t tell just yet. 

His claws dug into the earth as he crept along. Ahead of him he saw a small troop of Fusion soldiers, chasing a stray XYZ family. There were still several such who hadn’t located the main group of survivors and those were quite vulnerable to being tormented by these invaders. 

A surviving line of trees stood not that far away, with thick bushes clustered about them and a few hedges scattered here and there. Kei concentrated, his power reaching outward, twining about the trees and bushes, filling them with his energy and his will, just as the Fusion soldiers raced under them, cackling and laughing. 

Their laughter cut off as the trees one by one reached down and picked them up, holding them several feet off the ground. None of them were Healers or Firestarters, so nothing they did had any effect. The family, a mother and two daughters, stopped and stared. 

“What happened?” One of the girls asked, holding onto her sister. Kei moved outward slowly. 

“I did. Go. Find safety. I’ll deal with these.” He turned a stern look towards his captives, who kept on struggling despite not having any chance of escaping. The family scurried away and he waited until they were out of sight before he moved closer to the soldiers. 

“It’s one of those things!” One of the soldiers wailed, staring at Kei through the veil of leaves, struggling as hard as he could and not getting anywhere. So was one of the others, not quite whimpering but definitely disturbed. 

The third one merely hung there. She was the only woman of the group and she stared at Kei quietly, large green eyes full of worry and fear. She wore her hair in a neat ponytail and her uniform was one of those red ones. Kei regarded her thoughtfully before he had the tree holding her set her down in front of him. 

“What’s your name?” He wanted to know. “I’m Kei.” The more he scented this one, the more he suspected she could be reasoned with. The other two kept screaming and struggling far too much. 

“Himura Akane,” she murmured. “You’re a real talking cat.” 

“I’m a Healer Cat,” Kei replied with pardonable pride, tail swishing. “You have something that I need, Himura-san. To save someone that I care about – the Firestarter that I wish to bond to.” 

She fidgeted. “I don’t know what I have that you could need. I can’t even believe I’m talking to you – Professor told us that you – that you ” 

Kei chuckled. “That we steal bonds and are beings of evil? We’re not.” He shook his head. “But what I need from you is you to take me to the Fusion dimension.” 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Ryou genuinley remembers the fact he was in XYZ. He doesn’t remember any details beyond what Yuuri’s told him. His mind is a messed up place right now. Oh, and if you watched Arc-V, Himura Akane is the Osiris Red girl who got Asuka to defect and then ended up carded. 

Also, Vector and Yuuri. Be afraid.


	16. Chapter 16

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Shou, Shun, Ruri, Durbe, Chris, Mizael|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Sixteen|| **Words:** 3,091|| **Total:** 49,062  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Shou clipped one of the leaves, running his hands over the branches, and exuded as much of his energy into the tiny plant as he could. He breathed in deeply and closed his eyes. The plant whispered back to him, enjoying the feeling of his hands on the leaves, murmuring about how happy it was that he’d grown it and how pleasant it was with the sun and earth and water. 

Slowly he soothed the little plant. It settled itself back into its pot and the leaves spread outward to soak up the sun. It hadn’t properly blossomed yet and he wasn’t going to force it. Good Healers never forced plants without a good reason. 

One of his teachers peered over to check on his work and nodded in approval “You’re getting better,” she praised him. “You’ll be eligible for the Obelisk Blue Healer Corps in no time if you keep this up.” 

Shou dropped his head at once. “No, I won’t,” he murmured. He knew that it would take far more skill and talent than he had to be _that_ good. 

He would never be good enough to be on the Healer Corps. They only accepted the best of the best, and he wasn’t even bonded yet. No one had even wanted to _court_ him yet. No one had even wanted to fight for the right to. 

Not like his brother. He’d seen the battles when everyone eligible fought to see who would have the right to court Ryou. Battles between Healers were almost as terrifying as those between Firestarters, especially for a Healer to watch. He recalled in vivid detail how Yuuri won it – turning every plant that the other three had against their masters, and tearing them into shreds. 

There were few times when it was permissible for Healer to kill Healer. When it came to fighting for a Firestarter, that was one of those times. 

The teacher only rested a hand on his shoulder before moving on. Shou carefully cleaned up his area and then made his way back to his own quarters. Like those of any Healer, there were plenty of plants there that he’d raised and grown himself. All of them murmured in pleasure as soon as he entered and Shou greeted them, curling up in his favorite chair and picking up his PDA. 

Nothing from Ryou. That disturbed him. They didn’t talk very often but Ryou at least sent a message once a month, catching Shou up on what he was doing over there in XYZ. The fact of his being there worried Shou more than he’d ever wanted to say. XYZ was a strange world, a place full of terrifying creatures and a strange summoning method that Shou didn’t understand. 

_When’s he going to come home?_ Shou tucked his head down and sighed. He knew that sooner or later he needed to wander around and check on some of the communal gardens. That was part of a Healer’s duty from the moment they began to attend the school. There was only one garden that he hadn’t yet come near and the last time he’d talked to one of the more senior Healers, he’d been told he really needed to go by _that_ one. 

But he didn’t like being anywhere near the Garden that Yuuri used the most. So far as he knew, no one did. It wasn’t even allowed to go too near there except in certain cases. Technically he had permission but he wasn’t going to push it. He might wander that way if he knew for a fact Yuuri wasn’t there. 

For a moment he worried at his lip, then went over to the door that led to his own private garden. This garden was connected to every other garden in Academia. Shou settled in there and reached for the foliage, whispering in that silent language. 

_Is Yuuri there?_ Just that one question. It was all that he needed to know. If he could just get in there enough to fulfill his duties, then he wouldn’t have to go back for ages. 

And maybe, just maybe, he would find out something about his brother. That worried him, that Yuuri might be the only one who knew anything. He didn’t want to _ask_ Yuuri. He wanted to know without interacting with Yuuri at all. 

He waited for an answer. Waited until the wind blew and the leaves whispered and told him what he wanted to know. 

Yuuri wasn’t in the Garden. He might not be back there for some time. Shou wasn’t sure why, but that gave him a little time. So he gathered up every scrap of his courage and headed outside. If nothing else, he wouldn’t have to interact with Yuuri’s scary plants for months after this. 

* * *

Shun usually kept a careful eye out as he headed back from wherever he’d been to where the survivors huddled together. He wanted to make sure he made it back safely and didn’t lead any of Fusion’s filth to where they hid. 

Usually he did. Right now he didn’t care. He would have gleefully led the entire army there, if only for the chance to turn around and roast every single one of them into a great pile of ashes. 

He’d wanted that ever since he’d seen what happened to the train. Before then he’d just mildly hated the invading army. They didn’t belong here; they’d done a lot of harm, and he knew they’d do a lot more. But he at least had his family. His sister and his parents – they’d been separated during the initial invasion, he and Ruri having been chatting with some old friends, while his parents were at home. 

It had been a very happy, normal day. He’d looked forward to his next chance to duel against Kaito. He’d have to argue with Yuuto about it, of course, but they usually settled that with a duel too. Everything had been so peaceful. So perfect. So happy. 

And then from nowhere came the strike, the Fusion warriors tearing into town from all sides, and life changed forever. 

_My parents are dead. I have to tell Ruri._ Oh, how he didn’t want to do that. He knew that he _needed_ to, but he didn’t _want_ to. Telling her that would make it as real to her as seeing all the damage and bodies caused by that Firestarter of Fusion had made it for him. 

He thought he smiled. It was the sort of smile that wasn’t a smile. It certainly didn’t make him happy in the slightest. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be happy again. 

“Shun?” 

He raised his head up to see Ruri standing there, hand reaching out for him. Her fires brushed against his, the two flames wrapping around one another. She took a step closer. 

“What’s wrong?” 

He didn’t want to tell her. He wanted to be able to say that their parents were safe behind him, that all of this was going to end. But the words refused to make their way out of his mouth. 

Ruri raised one hand to touch his lips. “You don’t have to say it. I already heard,” she murmured, and Shun realized now that tears streaked her cheeks. “All of them?” 

He nodded slowly. “I burned the fool who did it,” he confessed. He’d never done that to anyone before. Normally Firestarters had some leeway in killing people, if it was to defend their Healer or their family. But he’d never had anyone enrage him to the point that he unleashed the full force of his flames. 

Until now. Now he knew that he’d done it and what perhaps terrified and pleased him the most was that he didn’t care. If Fusion’s soldiers followed him, he would do it all over again. If anyone threatened Ruri or Yuuto or anyone else that he cared about – a vanishingly small list – then he would end them without mercy. 

Slowly he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Ruri. She returned the embrace, and he could feel her shaking in his arms. 

“We have to get rid of them,” she murmured. “What do they even _want_ with us?” 

“I don’t know. But we’ll burn them out eventually.” If only Fusion didn’t have Healers and Firestarters of their own. Then those of Heartland would be able to defeat their opponents. As it was, all they had were those who could duel. 

Slowly the two of them started to head back the way that Ruri came. Both of them kept a cautious eye out for anyone who might try to attack them. Shun couldn’t wait to get back to where he could feel Yuuto’s glimmering warmth. He’d never known a Healer like Yuuto. They’d worked hard on attuning to one another and perhaps if things had gone on the way they should have, they would have planned bonding at some future point. 

That might still happen. Shun wasn’t going to deny the chance. But right now he wasn’t worried about bonding. He just worried about everything else. 

Including one tiny thing. He nudged Ruri ever so gently. “Have you found any Healers to your taste yet?” 

Ruri sighed right away, lightly tapping at him with fire between her fingers. “Why do you keep asking? Why now?” 

Because she needed a Healer. Because he needed to think about something that wasn’t what he’d seen that day. Because he hoped something good could come out of all of this. But now he just shrugged. Ruri rolled her eyes. 

“Not yet. Come on. Let’s go.” 

Shun didn’t argue. He’d done all that he could anyway. 

* * *

Durbe ran a soothing hand through Chris’s long silver hair. His Healer lay there quietly, eyes closed, trying to rest. Both of them had been busy for hours, trying to reinforce the various Gardens throughout Heartland and avoiding being seen by any Fusion soldiers. 

Both of them were good enough duelists to defend themselves, but Chris wanted to save his energy to put into the Gardens. The survivors would need those to have food and shelter. 

“Any new information?” Chris murmured at last. Durbe shook his head. 

“Nothing we didn’t already know. If we’re to stand a chance here, then we’re going to have to find a way to use their weapons against them. And we don’t know how yet.” 

Chris sighed, brow furrowed. “There should be a way.” He knew more about science and tech than Durbe did. Durbe liked hearing him talk about it, too. Seeing him excited about something new was a beautiful sight. 

Durbe considered their options, then shrugged. “The only way I can think of is to get one of their Duel Disks and see if we can figure out how it works.” 

There wasn’t a response at first. Then Chris tilted his head up and eyed Durbe thoughtfully. “So how do we do that?” 

A very good question indeed. Durbe considered even more options. It was simple to declare they would just acquire a Duel Disk. Actually doing it was the hard part, when they all knew that a captured Fusion fighter would just self-destruct their duel disk. 

“Let’s see if we can find at least one of them on their own,” Durbe suggested. “We can keep them prisoner and take their disk before they can wreck it.” 

Chris sat up and ran a hand through the long wash of silver hair. “I haven’t seen any of them on their own. They’re almost always in pairs at least.” 

Durbe shrugged. “So we find a pair of them? Then we can have two duel disks.” 

Again Chris’s fingers drummed, this time also moving to caress one of the nearby flowers that sprouted up near him. “All right. We should get a few other people for this, though. Healers and Firestarters.” 

“Rio and Kotori?” Durbe suggested. Rio was a Frostflame, but that could only give them more talent to work with. “Or Ryouga and Thomas?” 

Chris’s lips twitched. “Why not both? But I was also thinking about Mizael.” 

“Why him?” 

“Because I think he needs something to think about that isn’t how depressed he’s been since this got started.” Chris drew himself gracefully to his feet. 

Durbe considered that. It wasn’t untrue – Mizael could put a very good face on and did a lot to help in this nightmare situation, but any Healer worth their blossoms could see that underneath it all, something wasn’t right with him. 

“Do you know what’s the matter?” Durbe wondered. He knew there was something to do with a Firestarter, but Chris hadn’t told him all the details. There just hadn’t been time with an invasion. 

Chris nodded. “Remember what the Healer Cat, Kei, told us? About how that Firestarter he wasn’t actually courting turned out to be an enemy agent?” 

Oh, yes. Durbe remembered that now. He hadn’t realized that it hurt Mizael all that much. Perhaps it had been more than a simple attraction. He found himself quite grateful that he’d never been torn between romantic bonds and the connection of a Healer and Firestarter – Chris was both for him, and he was the same for Chris. Trying to separate them would be a nightmare he didn’t want to live through. 

Chris held out his hand and Durbe accepted it, rising to his feet. “All right. Let’s see if we can get him to help us.” 

“He’s in his tent. At least I think he is.” Chris frowned in thought. “I did hear that he and Kurosaki were out earlier and the refugee train was lost.” 

Durbe winced at that. He only barely knew Kurosaki Shun as one of Chris’s students, but the loss of all of those people would horrify anyone. It was the fault of Fusion, of course. Everything that had happened lately was the fault of Fusion. Even Mizael being in this situation of grief. 

“We'll see how he’s feeling,” Chris said, and the two of them headed through the rows of tents. 

Durbe couldn’t count how many people were here. The Night Gardens were – or had been – the largest garden in Heartland. But even with all the Healers here to support the plants of all types, no one could be certain if the Gardens could still support the people. 

They needed to get rid of the Fusion invaders. Otherwise, none of them would survive. 

* * *

Mizael wanted to keep on sleeping. He expected if he opened his eyes, he would see Kei there, insisting there was some way that they could get to Fusion dimension and save Marufuji. Mizael wasn’t going to take that chance. He’d said it already – if Marufuji really didn’t want to be a part of Fusion, then he could save himself. 

But something kept telling him that he needed to wake up. He shifted, trying to pull his thin pillow over his face, and not succeeding. He grumbled; couldn’t they just let him _sleep_? 

“I think he’s asleep,” a voice murmured, just far enough away that he could have ignored it and close enough that he didn’t want to. It felt wrong. They sounded like he might need him. Couldn’t they wait until later? Until he felt like getting up? 

He didn’t open his eyes. He was awake, but he really would have preferred not to be. How long had he even been asleep, anyway? How long had Kei been gone? 

“I am.” He could hear someone moving just outside of his tent. Not what he wanted. “I want to stay that way.” 

He recognized the voice that answered: Chris. What were he and Durbe doing here? 

“I wish we could let you.” Chris told him. He and Durbe both leaned into the tent. “But I think we have an idea to turn things more in our favor and we need your help.” 

Mizael still didn’t open his eyes. “Why should I, Chris?” Though those few words did plant the seed of curiosity. What did they think that they could do to push back Fusion? 

“We’re going to capture some Fusion soldiers, take their Duel Disks, and figure out how they work so we can use them with our words,” Chris said, almost too cheerfully. 

Mizael sat up, tossing off his blanket and staring at the two of them at the tent flap. He could not have heard what he just thought he heard. This was almost like what Kei had said, but somehow – different. Sort of. He needed more details. “You want to do _what_?” 

“Capture some Fusion solders, make sure they can’t destroy their duel disks, then retrofit their Duel Disks so that we can use them. Fighting them on a level playing field. Getting them out of our world once and for all.” Chris repeated himself. His lips quirked a little. He clearly knew what he said would have an effect on Mizael. “What do you think?” 

Mizael could think of quite a few things. But one shot right to the front of his mind, chilling his heart and bolstering it at the same time. 

_If he comes back – if he tries to attack this world again – then it’s my fault. Because I didn’t figure it out sooner and didn’t stop him. He already carded a lot of people that we could have used now. So if I have a way I can fight back against him – I will. I have to._

That had been what lurked in the back of his mind all this time, pushed to the side by hard work of helping other people. The rage at Marufuji, the way he felt as if he’d been tricked or used, the way he felt as if he’d somehow failed all of those around him. If he’d just known sooner, been able to guess sooner, figured out what secret it was that Marufuji kept… 

This might be his way to repair what had gone wrong. And this was what made it different from Kei’s insistence on saving Marufuji – this was saving their world, something far more important. 

He got to his feet and ran his fingers through his hair, adjusting the scarf around his waist. “All right. What do you need me to do?” 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** So, things have Begun To Happen!


	17. Chapter 17

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Shou, Shun, Ruri, Durbe, Chris, Mizael|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Seventeen|| **Words:** 3,019|| **Total:** 52,062  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Himura Akane loved cats. She always had. From the time she was a little girl, her family always had at least two, and they’d loved her as well. Coming to Duel Academia had been difficult in more than one way, not the least of which how cats simply weren’t allowed. Most of the time it didn’t seem necessary – it was an island, after all, perhaps the teachers just didn’t want to risk kittens drowning. So she adjusted. 

But when their teachers started to tell the tale of how the XYZ dimension had terrifying cats of enormous size that were the next thing to demons – and not the sort of demons that came in a deck – and could talk and stole the bonds between Healer and Firestarter – that was when she began to reconsider. Cats weren’t like that, in her experience. 

She’d said nothing. She knew very well how bad it was to step out of line. Some of her friends did that and then vanished without a trace. A few rumors said that at least one of them ended up in Yuuri-sama’s private garden, eaten by his horrible man-eating plants. That, she definitely believed. She would believe any nightmare tale that had to do with Yuuri. 

_I knew they couldn't be true._ She watched the beautiful cat – or Cat – as it walked next to her. She wanted to bury her hands in that glorious black fur but she kept them to herself. This Cat could talk. It was as intelligent as she was – maybe more so, because it hadn’t been born in Fusion dimension where it wouldn’t be wanted. 

Not it. Him. Kei. She repeated the name to herself softly, too soft to be heard. 

Kei tilted his head up to look at her, ears twitching. “Yes?” 

Akane blushed a deep crimson red. “Oh! I didn’t mean anything – just trying to-” She fidgeted, eyes casting downward. “I’m trying to remind myself that you’re – real.” 

Kei didn’t look built to smile but the way his ears twitched more and the tilt of his tail told her that he wanted to. “I’m very real.” 

She nodded, drawing a breath. “All right. I’ll take you to Fusion. But what do you want to do there?” 

“I’m searching for my Firestarter. He’s in the Fusion dimension.” 

Akane worried at her lower lip. “Did he get captured?” That was pretty horrible, but she knew that it could happen. The Professor and their teachers made it plain that any XYZ duelist who turned out to be skilled enough should be brought there as soon as possible. She’d never seen anyone that good, but most of her companions had been intent on carding whoever they saw without mercy right away. They never even tried to test an opponent’s strength in battle. 

“Something like that. Are you familiar with the name Marufuji Ryou?” 

Akane’s eyes rounded and her fingers tightened. “You mean – Yuuri-sama's Firestarter to be? The one he’s been courting all this time?” 

Kei’s tail lashed. “That’s the one. He’s my Firestarter – though not quite yet. It’s complicated.” 

It had to be. Akane hadn’t ever seen Marufuji Ryou face to face, but she’d heard a lot of stories about how powerful he was and how only someone like Yuuri could possibly partner to him. She had to believe it; she wasn’t a Firestarter or Healer herself. She didn’t know any better. 

“He’s in danger of some kind. I can’t say exactly how but I feel it.” Kei nudged his head against her hand. “Will you trust me?” 

“Yes.” Akane replied without hesitation. She’d always been a little sorry for Marufuji-san. What would it be like to be partnered to Yuuri-sama forever? He was considered the best and brightest and greatest of them all, even with how cruel and sadistic he could be. 

Perhaps because of how cruel and sadistic he often was. 

She raised up her Duel Disk and made sure to stay in contact with Kei. Her fellow soldiers would remain here, under watch from the plants Kei commanded to capture them in the first place. 

In between one second and the next, everything around them shifted, and when the world cleared up again, they stood in one of the courtyards of Duel Academia. Kei looked around, shoulders raised, whiskers twitching, drawing in a deep breath. 

“A strange place,” he murmured after a few moments. “No Cats anywhere.” 

“No. There aren’t any cats of any kind allowed here.” She shook her head and worried at her lip again. “Kei, are you going to need my help? I need to go talk to someone.” 

Kei sniffed again, turning to one side. “I can manage to find him. But I’ll need you to get us back home.” 

“What if he doesn’t want to go with you?” Akane asked without thinking. The way that Kei looked up at her made her wish that she hadn’t and she started to apologize before he shook his head. 

“Then I’ll need to go home alone. But go. I can find you.” He nudged her gently. “I have your scent now.” 

Akane thought that should sound a lot more terrifying than it did. Instead, she hurried away, hoping that she could find Tenjoin Asuka before it was too late. And she devoutly hoped that it wasn’t already. 

* * *

Kei paced along carefully, sliding through all the shadows, ears and nose alert for the slightest trace that would lead him to Ryou. The part of him that was a Healer also reached for Ryou; without the bond it wasn’t as strong, but the closer he got to his Healer, the more aware he was of it. 

So he moved carefully, keeping away from all eyes as best that he could. It looked to be late afternoon here, just as it had been in XYZ, so there were plenty of shadows for him to take refuge in. Being the shade he was, it wasn’t that hard for him to hide. All he had to do was close his eyes and it wasn’t likely anyone would check any closer. 

He was careful the farther he moved along. He didn’t yet have a specific place to find Ryou, but the closer he got, the more certain he was that he was in the right trail. 

The plants and trees here didn’t seem inimical to him. They were as willing to protect him as they would be any other Healer – they’d never been told _not_ to help, because the Fusion leaders hadn’t ever thought that someone would come looking for one of their own. 

Kei raised his head and sniffed the breeze. Most of the scents he found were those of the trees, bushes, flowers, and other blossoming foliage but he also caught the aroma of humans. Healers and Firestarters and none of the above – and one of them seemed a bit more familiar than it should have. 

Slowly his tail twitched as he focused, attempting to track where that one came from. It dawned on him that it was getting closer and closer. Kei leaped into the concealing arms of the nearest tree, letting the leaves fold over him, and watched to see who would come by. There was only one person here that he would have sworn he recognized the scent of – Ryou – and he knew this person _wasn’t_ Ryou. 

So why did they remind him of Ryou? Kei’s claws dug into the tree branch as he watched. If someone had done something to hurt Ryou – well, Yuuri probably had. But this wasn’t Yuuri either. He knew that scent as well. 

Underneath him there finally walked – someone. Kei breathed in carefully. Yes, this was the one who smelled faintly like Ryou. Not too much; he hadn’t spent time around Ryou recently. He was also a Healer, not a Firestarter with the crisp autumn scent of a nascent Frostflame. His coloring was vaguely similar, lighter shades of blue, 

Kei made up his mind in a heartbeat. He leaped out of the tree, landing in front of the stranger. 

“Who are you and why do you smell like my Firestarter?” Kei asked, staring at the young man’s large gray eyes. The Fusion soldier stared back at him, eyes going round as he stumbled back. 

“Y- you-” He shook his head, trying to move. “You're one of those talking Cats! The Professor told us about you!” The words tumbled out over themselves. “You steal the bonds between Healers and Firestarters! You’re evil!” 

Kei sighed and flexed his claws. If he had the chance, he wouldn’t mind finding some way to turn Akaba Leo into mulch. Now wasn’t the time for that pleasure, though. 

“Yes, I am a Healer Cat. My name is Kei. But we do not steal bonds. We form our own between ourselves and our chosen ones.” Again his tail flicked ever so carefully. He didn’t _want_ to scare this one if he could avoid it. “And my chosen is Marufuji Ryou.” 

The Healer had taken almost half a dozen steps backward before he finished talking. Now he stopped, staring harder at Kei. 

“You – you know my big brother?” His eyes somehow got larger. Kei wasn’t certain of how he managed that. 

Kei settled down and wrapped his tail around his front paws. “Yes. We met while he was in my dimension and I’ve come to find him here. We have – matters to discuss.” 

The Healer blinked, slowly rubbing the back of his head. “But he’s not here. He would have told me if he were coming home.” 

“I wouldn’t be so certain. I have reason to believe that he didn’t come willingly.” Truth to tell, Kei wasn’t certain about that. But he would work out the details once he actually saw Ryou and could find out what happened. He brought his own gaze up to meet the Healer’s again. “You say you are brothers?” 

That got a nod. “I’m Marufuji Shou – I’m supposed to join the Obelisk Force Healer Corps once I finish my education. That’s what they keep telling me – I don’t think I’m good enough, though.” 

“Really.” Kei let sarcasm drip over every syllable of the word. “I can think of much better ways to use your talent than hurting others. You are a _Healer_. A powerful one, too.” 

Shou shook his head without hesitation. “No, I’m not. I’m – I’m just about mid-level, that’s all. And I have to work for that.” Again he took a bit of a step backwards. “I have to go. I’m supposed to go work on Yuuri-sama’s Garden.” 

Kei rose up to his feet. Of course! If he could find that – and now here was a way to do so. “Then we’re going to go there together.” 

Shou’s mouth and eyes were now perfect circles of shock and fear. “We are?” He squeaked. 

“Yes. If I don’t find Ryou there I’ll search elsewhere, but it’s a place fro me to begin.” He moved forward enough to nudge Shou with his head. Shou yelped a little, then stared down. 

“You – you are a Healer, too,” he murmured, one hand reaching out. Kei allowed him to touch. Shou’s hand buried itself in his fur and he sighed quietly. “You really are a Healer Cat.” 

“Of course I am. Now, can we move along? I want to find Ryou before Yuuri does whatever he has planned.” 

Shou fidgeted as he started to move forward again. “What does he have planned? I mean – my brother is going to be his Firestarter. They’re courting. It’s – it’s what they both want.” 

Kei strolled alongside of him. “I don’t believe it is. But it’s for Ryou to decide.” 

Shou pressed his lips together, then made an attempt at a subject change. “I haven’t been on the front lines. What is it like there? Have you been?” 

If he’d been human and thus capable of it, Kei would have surely facepalmed. Instead, he shook his head. “Do you think it’s something grand and glorious? That your army is doing what’s right?” 

“Of course they are.” Shou blinked at him as they walked along. “Professor’s told us about how we're going to make the worlds into a much better place.” 

“Really.” Oh, this was just wonderful. An entire world of people who’d been fed that same foulness. Kei didn’t have the patience to deal with them all but he’d handle this one. “What is so glorious about invading a world with no warning, having sent people to get rid of their best chances to defend themselves, and turning everyone into cards regardless of if they fought back or not?” 

Shou looked as if he were about to protest. Kei regarded him calmly and the words never came. Shou said nothing else, just hurried along towards the area that Kei guessed was Yuuri’s Garden. Just coming closer to it set his hackles rising. 

If there had ever been a doubt in his mind, said doubt would be dispelled now. Yuuri was a Dark Healer. Those weren’t common in Heartland, but they did appear on occasion. Those who used their powers to hurt others, who took the most twisted and depraved pleasures in what they could do. Not even being bonded to a Firestarter could always settle them. Sometimes it did, but those were often the Dark Healers who hadn’t been Dark for very long. The longer it stretched out, the less likely it was they would ever recover. 

Kei approached with cautious tread, breathing in deeply, tail lashing his flanks. 

“He’s here,” Kei murmured. “His scent’s all over this place. Ask the plants if you don’t believe me.” 

Shou worried at his lip, then closed his eyes. Kei could feel him communing with the plants in his own way, then his eyes flashed open and he started to run towards the Garden’s opening. 

“Big brother!” 

* * *

Ryou wasn’t sure of how long he’d been asleep. Something woke him up; something that he wasn’t sure of. A sensation, nothing more. Was it Yuuri? Had Yuuri returned? He sat up and carefully rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, trying to get his thoughts in order. 

He knew that here, in the heart of Yuuri’s Garden, he was safe and protected. Few were they who would dare to enter it without permission and if anyone _did_ , Yuuri would happily mulch them. Or he would burn them – if his flames ever came back. 

Sometimes he wondered if they ever would. That great empty gap inside of himself seemed infinite, edged all around with ice in a way that he didn’t like. If he probed at it too deeply, he suspected he would see something that he didn’t like. 

“Big brother!” The cry split the air, thinned only by distance, but still familiar. Ryou stumbled to his feet, looking towards the door. A heartbeat later, Shou appeared there, disheveled and staring at him in absolute shock. Then he threw himself forward and wrapped his arms around Ryou’s waist, trembling. 

At first Ryou wasn’t sure of what to think. Neither of them had really gone in for much touching, but feeling Shou there, a strong and trained Healer, settled something that felt out of balance inside of him. It wasn't the sense of bonding, but something similar that had been between them since their powers respectively manifested. 

“Shou – what are you doing here? Is Yuuri-sama with you?” He probably was. Why else would Shou even be here? 

Shou lifted his head up and Ryou blinked to see tears shining in his eyes. Nothing had happened for tears, at least not that he could remember. Should he remember? 

“No, he’s not. And if we are fortunate, then we won’t see him at all.” Another voice spoke. It sent chills all the way down Ryou’s spine and his mouth dried up even as he looked to the door where the voice came from. 

There stood a large cat, perhaps the size of a panther, with gray eyes similar to Shou’s. Slowly the creature padded forward, eyes not departing from Ryou, nostrils flaring. He couldn’t be sure how it had spoken but it had. That voice thrummed all through him. 

“Big brother, are you all right?” Shou asked. “What did he do to you?” 

Ryou wasn’t at all sure of what Shou meant by that. Slowly he shook his head. “What are you talking about?” 

“I can feel it,” Shou murmured, still clinging to him. “There’s something _wrong_.” 

“Oh, that.” Ryou shrugged. “It’s part Firedamp and part something else Yuuri-sama’s working on to help restructure my memories.” 

The Cat hissed, claws flexing. “He gave you _Firedamp_? And he’s doing what to your memories?” 

Ryou’s eyes shifted from the Cat to Shou and back again. Both of them still seemed upset by this. The deepest part of his mind – a part that hadn’t twitched much in the days since he’d first awakened here – stirred, upset as well. Perhaps he could explain it to them. 

“Helping me. I became too involved in the XYZ dimension and he is helping me. I won’t remember any of it when he’s done.” Ryou wanted to sound proud of what Yuuri’s efforts. But he knew he didn’t – though he didn’t know why. He frowned, staring at the Cat. “Do – do I know you?” The longer he stared at the Cat, the more he wanted to call it by name and ask why it was there. It shouldn’t be – it was too dangerous – it shouldn’t be here, in Fusion. 

His head began to throb and his breath stuttered in his lungs as his vision blurred. He shook his head, closing his eyes, stumbling back until he fell back onto the bed, pushing Shou away as he did. Where was Yuuri-sama? Why was he here on his own? Why couldn’t he feel his flames 

His head spun faster and faster with each second, until he could not have stood up if he’d wanted to, and he didn’t even try. Something was wrong and he had no idea of how to deal with any of it. 

A single word worked its way out of his lips. “Kei…” 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** We’re almost to one of what I consider the most dramatic parts! Remember I’ve been hinting all this time about how a Firestarter’s power can invert and become ice? Almost there!


	18. Chapter 18

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
**Characters:** Vector, Yuuri, Leo, Mizael, Chris, Durbe, Asuka, Akane (OC)|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
**Chapter:** Eighteen|| **Words:** 3,028|| **Total:** 55,090  
**Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
**Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
**Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
**Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
**Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Vector strolled alongside of Yuuri, taking in the scenery. A few Fusion soldiers eyed him cautiously, probably disturbed by his lack of uniform, but the fact he carried one of their duel disks and Yuuri seemed to have him “in custody” meant they didn’t bother him directly. 

_Too bad. I could use the exercise._ It might lessen his chances of succeeding at what he was doing but it would be fun, and fun wasn’t to be sneezed at, especially not these days. He would take it where he could find it. 

“You wouldn’t be taking me the long way around, would you?” He asked. He suspected under other circumstances, he and Yuuri could have gotten along splendidly. And probably terrified a lot of people. Too bad things turned out the way that they had. 

Yuuri snorted. “No. The Professor is just deep inside the building. He likes being protected.” 

Well, that was interesting. Vector stored the information away to deal with later. He strolled onward, humming a bit under his breath. Yuuri asked something that he wasn’t quite expecting as they walked. 

“Why do you people put up with those Cats? They’re repulsive. Cats shouldn’t be that large – or able to talk - let alone anything else.” 

Vector snorted. “I don’t put up with them. I want nothing to do with one of them. They’re smelly and you have to get them registered and they walk in and out of your place all night long.” He shook his head. “Not worth the effort.” 

Yuuri’s lips twitched at that. “You’re probably the first XYZ person I’ve met who has some intelligence, then. Most of them seem to fawn over the creatures. Quite annoying if you ask me.” 

A few more minutes and they stood outside of a door guarded by two duelists, who eyed Vector untrustfully and respectfully saluted Yuuri. “Can we do something for you, Yuuri-sama?” One of them asked. 

“I believe I sent a message that I was on the way with this XYZ defector to come and see the Professor,” Yuuri said, waving his fingers. “Step out of the way.” 

The guards leaped aside at once, opening the door. Yuuri strolled inside without a care and Vector followed, adjusting his jacket and watching everything he could to commit it to memory. The room itself was large, with a few tables set out of the main way, and some sort of odd machine in the back. Vector had no idea of what that was. But he followed Yuuri all the way up to where the man on the throne sat, watching their progress. “Professor,” Yuuri said, tilting his head forward. “This is Vector. He offers to give us the location of the Heartland survivors, if we find him a Firestarter to bond to.” The Professor – a wrinkly old man that didn’t impress Vector at all – turned a stern gaze onto him. Vector sketched a salute and grinned. “A strong Firestarter, mind you. Someone worth the effort.” His eyes gleamed with desire. “Someone I can have a lot of fun with.” Yuuri chuckled at that. One of the Professor’s eyebrows quirked. Vector suspected he wasn’t as awed – or terrified – by Yuuri as most people seemed around here. “And your reason for this is? I find it unlikely that you would do this for such a small price.” “It’s not small to me,” Vector pointed out. “But if you want to give me more – a powerful Firestarter and a luxurious place to live here. For that matter, let me have some fun carding people. I’ve done it since I got this.” He raised the duel disk. “Let me keep on doing it.” The Professor made a faint noise that Vector chose to interpret as agreeing. His eyes rested on the duel disk. “Explain to me how you got that. My soldiers are trained to self-destruct their duel disks in the unlikely even they’re defeated.” “Oh, I know.” Vector waved one hand carelessly. “That's what I didn’t bother to _defeat_ the one I took this one off of.” Again the Professor’s eyebrow twitched upward. Vector slipped his favorite knife from the hidden sheath and licked it slowly, savoring the taste of it. “I just killed them. It’s hard to self-destruct when you’re dead.” Yuuri’s eyes brightened in approval. “I don’t suppose you bothered to get their name? I want to talk to whoever their trainer was.” “Didn’t bother.” Vector shrugged, sliding his knife back. “Does it matter that much?” “Not really. But it would have bee amusing.” Yuuri turned back to the Professor. “I think that he could be useful.” “Then which Firestarter would you suggest for him?” The Professor wanted to know. Yuuri folded his arms over his chest and considered the options. “Most of the ones I can think of are either too weak or someone’s already bonded to them,” he mused. He gave Vector a measuring look. “Though there is one exception.” The Professor twitched his fingers; apparently that was enough of an incentive for Yuuri to keep on going. “Marufuji. He’s coming along reasonably well, though I might need a little help to get his memories properly restructured.” 

“And who would you bond to in that situation?” 

Yuuri’s grin turned feral and wicked. Vector approved. “I’ve got my eye on a Firestarter from XYZ. Brother to the girl you want taken. It will keep him out of the way so he won’t try to get her back.” 

That got a small nod from the Professor. “And why not allow this XYZ Firestarter for our new – comrade?” He regarded Vector for a few seconds. 

“Because I want to try him out for myself. We can make Marufuji what Vector would like. And I still haven’t decided that I _don’t_ want him anyway.” Yuuri shrugged. “There’s time to make the decision.” 

Vector nodded his own agreement. “I don’t know what Firestarter from XYZ you’re talking about but I don’t care. Just meet my demands and I’ll keep my part of the bargain.” 

Both of them nodded, and Yuuri looked ready to say something else. He broke off with a sudden wince, one hand to his forehead, and in the same moment, Vector’s breath hissed between his teeth. He suspected, once he had a moment to consider, that he wasn’t as strongly affected because he wasn’t from this world. The Professor stood up. 

“What is it?” He looked ready to summon troops with a single word if the occasion called for it. But Yuuri shook his head, turning around. 

“There are intruders in my garden. Two of them -” His eyes narrowed as he listened to the voices in his heart. “They’re after Marufuji.” 

Akaba Leo drew himself up. “From XYZ?” He raised one hand, starting to point at Vector, who snarled. He could hear the garden’s call, though not as loudly as Yuuri did. 

“I have nothing to do with this.” It would be ridiculous to even consider. But the Professor didn’t back down, not until Yuuri spat out the next words. 

“Only one – the Healer Cat. The other – from here.” His fingers curled into claws and Vector thought he saw Yuuri’s eyes flash slitted for a heartbeat. Strange indeed. “It’s Marufuji – Marufuji Shou.” 

Well. This _was_ getting more and more interesting. The Professor nodded then and snapped his fingers. His two guards stepped up at once. 

“Send a contingent of Obelisk Force Firestarters to Yuuri’s Garden. Have them restrain the Healer Cat and Marufuji Shou. Ensure Marufuji Ryou’s safety.” 

Yuuri snorted. “They won’t be able to. My Garden won’t let them in. It only let those two in because they could find the routes inside. But Firestarters can’t. I’ll go.” 

Akaba didn’t rescind his order, however. “They can encircle the Garden and make sure that they don’t escape with Marufuji Ryou, until you get there.” 

If Yuuri cared about that, he said nothing. He simply turned and stalked his way out. Vector watched for a few seconds, shrugged, and followed afterward, curious now to see what would happen next. What he saw as they exited the building – taking a short cut that he’d never dreamed existed given the way they’d come in – impressed him. Every tree, flower, bush, and blade of grass wove and danced in the wind of Yuuri’s rage. Some flowers burst into bloom and then fell into dust as he walked by. Vector didn’t think he’d ever seen a Healer that angry before. Most of them never reached that point since their Firestarters kept them balanced and steady. Yuuri needed a Firestarter more than anyone he’d ever seen. 

Vector also wondered just which Cat it was that had snuck in and why. One way or the other, this was getting a lot more interesting than he’d originally thought. 

* * *

Mizael sheltered himself underneath an overhang of stone. He’d grown a good concealing breadth of thorns to ensure that no one else would see him, but he could peer between them and see what was going on. He’d waited here for close to an hour and so far they hadn’t found any Fusion soldiers. 

_I know they’re here. What are they doing? Are they hiding?_ That didn’t make sense. Given the whole situation, there wasn’t any reason for them to hide. But he couldn’t see any. 

He leaned back against the stone, closed his eyes, and let his mind wander, touching onto every tree and bit of lie that he could find, murmuring his questions. He wanted to know where the invaders were, what they were doing, and how to get them closer to him. 

Eventually – he couldn’t have said when – he could feel an answer. As always, no words, but a sense that _here_ there were Fusion soldiers – ones who couldn’t get away. 

Mizael blinked at that. Why couldn’t they get away? He formed the question in the blink of an eye, and the answer floated back. 

Because the wild foliage of XYZ wouldn’t let it. Because another Healer had asked them to hold onto these. 

_Who?_ Mizael wanted to know. _Who asked you?_

**The Cat. He went away with another one of them, a nicer one.**

Mizael shifted and frowned. That wasn’t what he’d expected to hear. A Cat who “went away” with someone of Fusion? Then he sat up. _Kei? Was it Kei?_

**Cat.** The whisper came. That was all he was likely to get. Finding the plant-life that could tell the difference between individual Cats and Healers that weren’t actually Dark wasn’t easy. Especially when he didn’t know the trees and bushes he asked. 

Well, that gave him an answer regardless. He wriggled out from behind the thorns and headed over to where he knew Chris attempted to find Fusion soldiers. As soon as he walked up, the other Healer opened his eyes and looked at him. 

“I know where to go,” Mizael said, gesturing down what had once been a pleasantly busy street. “I think Kei’s been dong some work.” He shrugged. “I should have thought about that before.” The Cat had said he was going to find a way to get to Ryou. How else could he do it except by stealing a Duel Disk, or a duelist? 

Chris came to his feet in one graceful movement, Durbe joining him. He’d kept a watch on the area, ready to capture or incinerate anyone who came too close to his Healer. Mizael looked forward to one day having a partner like that – no, not Ryou of course. 

“We’ll have to thank him,” Chris said, his lips quirked into a smile. “Do you think he’d accept fish?” 

“I think what he wants is Marufuji back,” Mizael replied. He glanced away; if he were being truly honest with himself, he wanted the same thing. He wanted that pleasant night they’d had together to be real – to know that he wasn’t being lied to or used. To know that Ryou defended him because he cared, not for – whatever reasons he’d done it. Mizael didn’t know and hesitated on finding out. 

He put it aside. _If_ he ever saw Ryou again he would ask then what all of that had been about. He wasn’t sure if he should expect that or not. 

_I should go and help Kei._ The idea formed simply and calmly. Kei was a powerful Healer but he was in Fusion, where he didn’t know anyone or anything. He would need all the backup that he could get. 

But that would have to happen later. For now, they needed to find those Fusion soldiers Kei so politely left behind and capture those duel disks. 

In point of fact, that didn’t take very long. Half an hour, more or less, to find where the captured Fusion soldiers were being held, securely wrapped in vines and branches. There were two of them, held back to back, muttering to each other. As soon as Durbe, Chris, and Mizael entered the clearing, one of them looked up. 

“Get us out of this!” He snapped. “You could at least do us the c0urtesy of carding us instead of leaving us like this!” 

Mizael exchanged a glance with Chris, who looked far too amused for words. “Now, why do you think we’d do something like carding you?” Though truth to tell, Mizael guessed a few people would happily do that in revenge for all those who’d already been lost. 

The other soldier snorted. “Because we’re _prisoners_ and that’s what happens to prisoners! What else would you think? So either let us go and let us card you, or card us.” 

Durbe tilted his head, examining them carefully. “We know that you self-destruct your duel disks when you’re captured. How could we trust that you wouldn’t do that if we attempted to ‘card’ you? Or that it can’t be set up to work on us regardless?” 

The first one rolled his eyes. “Because we can’t get to the self-destruct button the way we’re tied up. That monster Cat did this to us and brainwashed one of our good soldiers to take him to Fusion.” 

Well, that was interesting indeed. Mizael strolled closer and peered down at them.. “Kei’s not a monster. At least not the usual kind. And I doubt he did any brainwashing.” 

“You’re wrong,” the same one declared. “He made it look easy! He didn’t even duel her! He just asked to go to Fusion and she took him!” 

Quick glances shot among the three XYZ defenders. Mizael held back a grin, but not by much. “So, he asked politely and she agreed. The only thing I find wrong about that is that one of you listened to someone asking politely.” His smile widened ever so faintly and the two Fusion soldiers stared at him, aware in that moment of why he was the supreme dragon user of XYZ. “Well, we’re not really going to ask politely. But I’m not Kei so I don’t have to.” 

He leaned down, spied their duel disks, and unfastened them. It wasn’t that easy, especially since the trees and vines held them in a fashion so the Fusion duelists couldn’t get to them. But he managed, handing one to Chris and the other to Durbe. 

“Good,” Durbe said, staring down at the one he held. “Now we can start doing to them what they’ve been doing to us.” 

* * *

Akane hurried through the corridors of Academia, hoping to find Tenjoin Asuka before anyone else found her. She didn’t think anyone knew that she’d brought the Healer Cat there, but Fusion had a way of knowing what one did almost before one actually did. Even if she managed to get to Asuka in time, what about what happened afterward? She couldn’t be sure. 

She couldn’t even be sure that Asuka would listen to her. But she’d always admired the other duelist’s strength of will and heart. After what she’d seen in the XYZ dimension, she couldn’t let that happen to such a pure and powerful Firestarter as Tenjoin Asuka. 

“Akane?” 

Akane pitched to a halt at the utterance of her name, her breath catching in her throat. She looked up to see Asuka standing there, a curious tilt to her head. 

“Akane, are you all right? I thought you were in XYZ.” 

Here it was. Akane swallowed and stepped closer, glancing here and there to ensure that no one else stood close enough to hear her. “I was. I saw what we’ve been doing there.” 

Asuka nodded, a gleam of light in her eyes. “I envy you. I want the chance to go there and -” 

Akane shook her head at once. “No! No, you don’t!” She clasped her hands together and stared at the other, wishing as she never had before that she were a Healer and could offer the strength and balance that Asuka needed. All she could offer was herself, and Asuka hadn’t ever indicated that she’d wanted that. 

But she kept going regardless. “What we’re doing there is wrong. We’re carding people – ones who don't fight back. Who are _innocents_.” Akane fought to keep the tears out of her eyes and didn’t think she succeeded very well. “This isn’t a war. This is a slaughter. It’s wrong. It’s unfair. They can’t fight back. They’re trying so hard, but they just can’t, and I can’t be part of that anymore.” She swallowed, wringing her hands. “I’m – I’m going to leave,” she whispered, pitching her voice so low that Asuka had to clean in closer to hear her. “And I want you to come with me. Please. You shouldn’t be part of this.” 

Asuka’s eyes were round and shocked with every word Akane said. When the Osiris Red girl stopped, Asuka quietly reached out to her, resting one hand in her shoulder. 

“If that’s what you want, then let’s go.” 

Akane wasn’t certain what she’d heard at first. Asuka believed her? Asuka would leave with her? She wasn’t sure where they were going to go but they wouldn’t be a part of this anymore. 

Then she slowly began to smile. A heartbeat of hesitation held her back. “All right. But first – would you like to meet a Healer Cat?” 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Remember, Akane got carded in canon. Will I do that to her? Will I send Asuka off with Yuuya’s dad? Not telling! But you’ll find out soon.


	19. Chapter 19

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Shou, Ryou, Kei (OC), Yuuri, Vector|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Nineteen|| **Words:** 3,079|| **Total:** 58,169  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Shou kept his arms tight around Ryou. His brother hadn’t ever been one for hugging, but he _needed_ to keep him like this. If he didn’t, Ryou would fall. He could feel how unsteady the Firestarter was, both of them trembling, for very different reasons. It had been so long since he’d seen his brother – and he could feel all the drugs slugging around in Ryou’s system. 

Kei nudged him. “We have to clear him out,” he murmured. “He’ll be more himself without all that going through him.” 

Shou nodded. He wasn’t going to question if he could do it; not now, not when Ryou needed help. He would have preferred doing it somewhere else, but their options remained slim. Instead, he turned his attention back to Ryou and closed his eyes, searching for that core of power inside of himself. 

He could already feel the brilliant blue-white flames that were Ryou – or should have been. There was something else there as well, and he wondered if that was the Firedamp. He’d never encountered it before, but there was something there. Kei was there as well, a perfect sphere of green-gold energy that wrapped delicate wisps of power all around Ryou. 

They were indeed suitable to bond. Shou could see that, now that they were together and he stood next to them. He’d never tried looking at his brother and Yuuri like this. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to anymore. Not when he could see the way that Ryou and Kei’s powers intertwined. 

Then Kei’s power reached out to him and wove around him, supporting him. Together they reached for Ryou, Shou’s arms around him, Kei leaning up against him. 

Ryou breathed in a stuttering breath, trying even harder to stand and not having that much more luck. He trembled. Shou and Kei could feel the drugs in him, horrid things brewed up by Yuuri, ones that tore into Ryou’s memories, blanking some, rewriting others. One by one they began to undo the effects. 

It wasn’t easy. It took time – though neither of them could have said how long that it took. Only that it seemed an instant and an eternity in the same breath. 

In all of his life, Shou hadn’t ever seen tears on his brother’s face. He’d never known Ryou _could_ cry. He’d seen him so strong no matter what happened, always convinced that what he did was right. He’d been praised from the moment of birth, told over and over that he was the best of the best, that he could not be wrong as long as he listened to the Professor. 

Shou now could feel memories slotting back into place. He wasn’t aware of _what_ Ryou remembered, only that they were there, returning to where they came, unearthing themselves from whatever hidden recesses of his mind that Yuuri’s drug drove them off to. 

Getting rid of the Firedamp did something else. The longer they were in there, the more Shou began to shiver. He bit his lip and held back a whimper. Ryou wasn’t supposed to be cold. His flames had always been so bright and so hot, that even if someone had suggested Frostflame to Shou, Shou would have at once insisted that Ryou was far too hot to frost over. 

Now he wasn’t so certain. Now he could feel the ice that formed around Ryou’s core. It hadn’t taken over yet – in point of fact, he thought it could be said that ice and flames were in perfect balance right now. 

“We have to fix this,” he whispered to Kei. “He’s going to frost over if we don’t.” He’d heard that Firedamp used irresponsibly could do that. He didn’t want that to happen to his brother. 

But Kei shook his head. “He can choose.” 

Shou blinked, trying to pull himself out of their connection enough to give Kei a very confused look. He wasn’t succeeding very well but the concept came across regardless. “What?” But Frostflames were _wrong_. A Firestarter's power should never turn on itself like that. 

“He can choose. He will choose.” Kei assured him. “One way or the other, he decides what his fires will do – burn or frost. But it’s _his_ decision.” His tail swished as he regarded Ryou, whose eyes were closed and breath coming in short pants. “Let’s get him to sit down until he can walk. We have to leave soon. If this garden is anything like ours at home, then it will be warning Yuuri of our presence.” 

Shou started to carefully urge Ryou to sit back down. Ryou, almost always the epitome of grace, all but flopped back. He was still awake, or so Shou thought. But he said nothing, only lay there and trembled as he never had before. 

“He’s remembering everything Yuuri made him forget,” Kei murmured. “It started already, just by seeing me. But what we’ve done brought it all back.” 

Shou nodded slowly. He chewed on his lip for a second. “You’re going to take him to XYZ, aren’t you?” 

“If he wants to go. He will always make his own choices.” Kei assured him. 

“Yes.” The word came from Ryou, half-croaked, his throat dry and pained. Shou’s head jerked up to see Ryou looking back at them, his eyes open. He wiped the tears from his face, blinked a few times, then jerked himself over to one side. 

Shou heard what happened next. He tried not to look at it but he knew it was there regardless. A tiny part of him didn’t envy Yuuri the cleanup job that he would have. But he reached out to rest one hand on Ryou’s shoulder. 

“Are you all right?” 

“I’ll define that later. When I’m not here.” Ryou slowly sat back up. He’d never been this pale before but raw determination shone in his eyes. Then he looked at Kei, and Shou saw something else that he’d never seen before – Ryou’s eyes softening. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I should have listened to you. You were right.” 

Kei nudged him. “Don’t worry about it. But what made you realize that?” His eyes rested equally fondly on Ryou. Shou hadn’t seen anything like that since the last time he’d seen a long-term bonded Healer and Firestarter. He’d wondered from then on if he’d ever be able to have a partner like that. 

“I asked for you and Mizael to be spared. The Professor – he wanted to have Mizael brainwashed and you – Yuuri’s already said he’s going to card you.” Ryou shook his head. “I can’t let that happen. Mizael wouldn’t be Mizael if he were brainwashed. And you’ve done nothing to deserve being a card.” 

His eyes hardened. “Yuuri is cruel.” 

It wasn’t the first time Shou heard someone accusing Yuuri of that. It usually came with some flavor of respect or fear. He’d never met heard someone say it with the amount of frozen hatred in Ryou’s voice. 

Kei nudged him again. “I think you and Mizael need to have a long talk. But first we need to get you back there. The war isn't going well.” 

Ryou nodded, before he twisted over again and Shou heard those sounds he would prefer not to. Slowly Ryou wiped his lips, then started to get to his feet, his movements unsteady but certain. Kei supported him on one side, Shou on the other. 

Then Ryou stopped, just as he was on his feet. Shou stared him, worried, until he saw Ryou reach for the necklace he wore. He had a moment to recognize it as red salvia. Only that one moment, because fire flared between Ryou’s fingertips as he yanked the chain off. Another flash, and the tiny flower and the chain attached to it were nothing more than a tiny mess on the floor. 

“I will never wear that again,” he murmured. Shou nodded. In the few seconds he’d seen it he’d recognized it as Yuuri’s work. He wouldn’t have wanted to wear it either. 

Together the three of them started forward to the outer area of the garden. Shou could feel something wasn’t right as soon as they did. The garden stirred – the garden started to _look_ at them. 

“Yuuri knows we’re here,” Kei murmured. “He’s trying to make sure that we don’t leave. 

“I don’t know where my duel disk is – or my deck,” Ryou murmured. He had to carry most of his own weight, given how much taller he was than either Shou or Kei. They just made certain that he wasn’t falling. “I could get us to XYZ if I had them.” 

“Maybe Yuuri left them around here somewhere?” Shou suggested. Kei breathed in deeply. 

“I can check but you’ll have to wait here – and if I can’t find it, then I do have a friend who can help us get back there.” 

Ryou nodded, trying not to wobble too much, and took a careful step forward. Shou helped; he’d never realized that his brother could be heavy. They had to get out of here. 

Getting in had been easy. Getting in, the garden hadn’t helped them but it hadn’t resisted, either. Now as they struggled to get to the exit, things _moved_. 

* * *

_Keep them in there,_ Yuuri hissed in the language of leaf and blossom. Every stride he took brought him closer to his Garden and he wanted those who dared to invade it to still be there when he arrived. He would have everything restrained and ready to be mulched in a matter of moments. 

He could feel another Healer next to him – but not one that tried to take over his Garden or take his attuned Firestarter away from him. That one only came along; this must be an ally. Yuuri wasn’t aware of much beyond the burning rage that filled him as surely as fire filled any Firestarter. But he knew who didn’t want to kill from those who would be nothing but food for his flytrap. 

There were others in the area, Healers and Firestarters both. He identified each with a flick of his eyes and purred deep in his throat at the sight of them backing away from him. He wanted no one to interfere. He would take care of these intruders on his own. 

From the outside, to ordinary eyes, there wasn’t a sign that his Garden had been intruded upon. Yuuri saw the trail of two Healers, the invisible marks that any Healer left behind them. They entered his garden. 

Yuuri stalked inside, Vector a breath behind him, and the pathways opened up before them. 

“How dare you enter _my garden_!” Yuuri hissed, hands clenching and unclenching. This didn’t require a duel. This only required _blood_. 

With a flick of a finger, the trees encircling the three figures began to reach towards the two Healers. Here on the grounds of his Garden, Yuuri’s word remained law. There wasn’t anyone who could overrule him here. 

“I’m not entering it,” Marufuji Ryou declared, cold eyes touching Yuuri’s. Yuuri held back a shudder that he shouldn’t have felt at all. Just looking there told him what he didn’t want to know – that the Firedamp no longer kept his powers in abeyance. 

He would remember. With that look, he clearly remembered everything. Which meant Yuuri would have a great deal of work to do to get him back under control. 

“You – go lay back down,” Yuuri ordered. “You shouldn’t be up regardless. You’re still not recovered.” 

Marufuji shuddered at the sound of Yuuri’s voice. Exactly what Yuuri wanted. They’d attuned to one another – Yuuri was a Healer. Put those two facts together and there wasn’t any reason for his wayward Firestarter not to immediately return to his bed. 

But he stayed where he was. He shook his head, a stubborn set to his jaw. “I’m not going anywhere except back to XYZ.” 

Yuuri hissed between his teeth. “You’re not.” Why was he being _disobeyed_? That shouldn’t have even been an issue. He turned his attention to the other two there. They were just barely managing to keep the tree branches away from them. “What did you two tell him? What did you do to him?” 

“We undid what you did.” The Cat declared, leaping above a stretching branch and landing next to Marufuji again, slashing out at a second branch with sharp claws. “You have no right to harm him like this, or in any other way.” 

Yuuri couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. He slashed one hand through the air and even more of the trees in the area began to move closer. Trees did not often move and they weren’t very fast when they did. But he could keep them here until things were back under control. He wouldn’t need those Firestarters that Akaba ordered around his Garden. In point of fact, he wanted them gone. They annoyed him by existing. 

But first these. First he took three steps forward and glared at Marufuji Ryou. The younger one he paid next to no attention to. He knew how strong the brat was – or wasn’t. He might be more useful if he were bonded, but he wasn’t. Yuuri doubted he’d done anything useful at all other than perhaps whining his brother’s name a few times. He could fix what had happened. He just needed them _gone_. 

“I said, go lay down. You stayed too long there. It damaged your mind. You need to heal and they’ve upset what I’ve done.” 

“You gave me Firedamp. You stripped memories away that I treasure.” Marufuji bit the words off, fires flaring in defense of the two Healers next to him. Yuuri seethed at the sight. How dare Marufuji do that for anyone who wasn’t _him_! “I will _not_ be your Firestarter. I won’t do anything for you, ever again.” 

Yuuri sighed a long, deep sigh. He held in his temper, at least as much as he could, which really wasn’t much right now. Everything around him that lived and was rooted into the earth swayed and danced and reached towards his targets eagerly. Marufuji’s eyes flicked towards them, singeing their leaves and branches to drive them back. That only made Yuuri angrier and less likely to hold in his temper. 

“This is what the Professor wants from you. He wants you to be the soldier you were raised to be,” Yuuri pointed out. “You wouldn’t be who you are if you didn’t.” 

“I don’t care.” Marufuji replied without hesitation. “I’m not listening to him or you.” 

Yuuri’s hand cut the air again and now two long vines from his flytrap wrapped around Marufuji, binding his arms to his body, then another came to wrap around his legs. 

“If I have to rewrite your mind completely, don’t think that I won’t. You’re either going to be mine or if you want a Healer from there that badly, I can make sure you get one.” Yuuri slanted his gaze towards Vector, who stood there lounging against one of the thick-trunked trees, sharpening his knife. He smiled and waved. 

“I know Mizael,” he said with far too much cheer. “Frankly, I think you could do better.” 

Yuuri turned his attention back to Marufuji Ryou. The vines brought him closer, so he could rest his fingers on the side of his Firestarter’s face. 

“Those are your choices. Him or me – and that’s it. But right now, your orders are to quiet down and behave yourself, and to drink your medicine like a good boy.” He gestured and one of the smaller plants lifted a vial from his storage case. He’d stored Marufuji’s deck and duel disk next to it; he’d meant to hand them over to the Professor but that hadn’t been necessary before now. From the way the Cat looked at them, perhaps he should have made the time. 

“Let him go!” The command came from the younger Marufuji and the Cat both. Yuuri ignored them; they would have enough to do keeping his dear trees away from them. Their noises meant nothing at all. 

Marufuji shook his head. Yuuri paid no mind to that either. He would resist until the medicine took effect. Yuuri was used to that. He picked up the vial and unstopped it. He’d always enjoyed having his ‘treatments’ be something that could be drunk. Those he gave them to needed to know they took it from his own hands and drank it willingly. 

As close as he was, he could feel the temperature being _off_. It should have been warm. His garden needed warmth. But this close to Marufuji, the chill hung there. He’d felt it before, being close to Marufuji. But he’d thought it had something to do with the Firedamp. 

Maybe it didn’t. Maybe he needed to - 

“No.” Marufuji’s voice snapped. “I’m not listening to you! Ever!” He shook his head and Yuuri caught it. 

“You can fight him!” That was the small Marufuji. Yuuri ignored that, even as he kept on repeating. Then the Cat spoke again. 

“Decide for yourself, Ryou. Do what you should always do – make your own decisions about your path and your partner.” 

Yuuri snorted. What a ridiculous concept. Firestarters were meant to serve Healers. He’d won Marufuji fair and square, and put in a lot of effort on building the foundation for a bond. Marufuji would not choose anyone else. Yuuri reached for Marufuji’s jaw. At the first touch, he pulled his hand back, gasping in shock. Marufuji’s flesh should not have been that cold. _Nothing_ should have been that cold! 

“I decide – for you to stop touching me!” Marufuji hissed, jerking his head as far away as his bonds allowed. Yuuri thought that so adorable. “Leave me _alone_!” 

What happened next, Yuuri hadn’t ever imagined could happen or would happen. His garden wasn’t ever supposed to be this cold but in a breath, ice covered every single plant and tree that he could see, and even more that he couldn’t. He could feel everything in the Garden, and it was all iced. He stumbled and fell to his knees, gasping, heart racing. 

What happened… why was this happening… he couldn’t think a single coherent though; his entire mind was nothing but a jumble of pain and cold. He felt hands on him, ones that he didn’t recognize, but those weren’t the hands of a Firestarter. He could hear words being spoken but they made no sense. Then, it was just him and the other Healer, and the endless spiral of deep freeze. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Six chapters left. Next chapter is one of my favorites!


	20. Chapter 20

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Ryou, Kei (OC), Shou, Asuka, Akane, Micheal, Thomas, Ryouga|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Nineteen|| **Words:** 3,017|| **Total:** 61,186  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

Ryou knew when Yuuri entered the Garden. He wasn’t as linked to it as Yuuri was, but he’d grown to know the feeling regardless. Before he’d felt a little reassured by Yuuri’s presence. How much of that was because of being used to having Yuuri around and how much was because he was used to feeling reassured, he wasn’t entirely sure anymore. It probably didn’t matter. 

What mattered was the way that everything pulled inside of him. Hearing Yuuri demand for him to go back to bed – it was far too tempting to listen. They’d been attuned to one another and Yuuri was a Healer. He wanted to obey and he refused to. He didn’t let himself listen. 

It helped that Shou stood there as well, his voice as loud as Yuuri’s, urging him to stay with them. Shou dodged as best that he could when Yuuri’s trees and plants dived in, and Ryou had to singe off some of their leaves to keep them away. Kei pressed against him; he’d mentioned looking for the deck and duel disk, but with Yuuri’s Garden now turned against them, he didn’t have the chance. 

Then he was bound – the vines and branches wrapping all around him without a hint of warning. He struggled and strained, trying to ignite the wood, but he couldn’t get a good grip on his powers, not when he was wrapped so tightly in Yuuri’s. The fly-trap's vines kept him tight as Yuuri came closer, another vial of that foul drug at the ready. 

Ryou couldn’t allow that to happen. If that elixir entered him, he’d be like he’d been before Kei and Shou arrived. Yuuri’s little obedient puppet. 

_No. Never. I won’t allow it._ Ryou snarled and saw Yuuri flinching for a second, shivering. 

Cold. He could feel the cold no, not as a separate thing from himself, but a part of him as it had never been before. 

Chill. He’d always been taught that frosting over was wrong, that he should never do it, that becoming a Frostflame was the wort thing that could ever happen to a Firestarter. 

Inside of his heart there had always been a flicker of ice. He’d ignored it; kept it surrounded by his brightest white-hot flames. Until the Firedamp sealed away his flames and the ice began to creep outwards. 

Now he reached inside of himself, remembering what he’d been told. He couldn’t be sure what was truth and what wasn't, but one thing he believed – while a Firestarter listened to a Healer's voice, a Frostflame only listened to whom they chose. Always that had been presented as a bad thing – not to listen to the voice of authority. 

Kei’s words struck deep into him, though. He could choose for himself. He could make up his own mind. And he knew what he would always choose from this point on – never to listen to Yuuri or Akaba Leo ever again. 

Where the flicker of ice had been there now pulsed a bright sphere of cold, twice as large as that of his flames, and growing with every breath that he took. He plunged hands that did and didn’t exist into the ice and called to it. 

**Firestarter?** The flames murmured as they faded away. **Good-bye, Firestarter.**

All the flames vanished, fading away, and Ryou found that he didn’t miss them. The cold wrapped around him as if he’d been born for it, sinking into him, ice filling his veins, and extending outward. 

He breathed in deeply. Oh, the sweet taste of cold at the back of his throat. He tasted it eagerly even as he looked outwards, aware of Yuuri’s far too close presence, and the Garden all around him. 

It couldn’t stay like this. He wouldn’t have harmed the Garden – it hadn’t done anything to him personally. It obeyed Yuuri’s will but it had none of its own. It struck at them because Yuuri wanted it to. And for that – to keep Kei and Shou safe – to get out of there. There was only one act he could do. 

Firestarters trained for years to be able to use their powers. Frostflames would have to do the same. But Ryou didn’t have years now. He did what his instincts said, as he so seldom did. He’d always plotted and anticipated and strategized ahead of time. Now he simply acted. 

Just by his existence, by the fact he teetered on the edge of frosting over, the temperature had dropped down already. Yuuri felt it; Ryou could tell. But now Ryou took it a step farther. He grasped that internal ice and drew it outwards, plunging the entire Garden into the depths of an ice age. 

_I can never come back after this._ That was fine. He didn’t want to come back. He wasn’t burning a bridge – he was turning every bridge into ice and shattering them. So be it. 

_I don’t care._ He didn’t. In the time he’d spent in XYZ he’d actually felt more at home there, at least when he allowed himself to. It would be different now. Because of his actions, terrible harm had been wrought upon that city. He would go back to help. It was the only correct choice. 

_I want to learn XYZ._ He admitted that to himself now. He looked forward to admitting it to Mizael. He anticipated seeing Cyber Nova Dragon again, on working it into his deck. 

_I want to see Mizael again._ Oh, how he longed for that. He’d just barely begun to wrap his head around how much he liked Mizael when everything fell apart. Perhaps it remained in smoking ruins but perhaps – oh, perhaps – they could rebuild something together. 

When he opened his eyes and saw every part of the Garden under a solid coating of ice, he blinked. He’d known what he’d done; he couldn’t not know. But he’d never expected to see it like that. Underneath his feet the ice should have been slick and slippery and the way that Shou stumbled and clung to him told him that it was – for Shou. 

But under his feet it was solid and steady. 

Kei shook the ice off of himself and leaped forward, darting to a small area in the distance. He slapped at the covering ice with his tail, once, twice, three times, then turned towards them. 

“If you want your deck and duel disk it’s right here. Though I don’t think the disk was built to stand subzero temperatures.” 

It probably hadn’t been. Ryou hurried over there – his steps flawlessly steady on the ice – and picked up both items. He glanced back at Shou, seeing Yuuri’s crumpled form and the other XYZ Healer bent over him. 

That one turned to look at them. “You’d better get out of here,” he snapped. “Tell Mizael that he _owes_ me. The name’s Vector. We’ll see each other again.” 

Ryou thought the name sounded familiar but he couldn’t place where. Now wasn’t the time, either. With Shou and Kei, he hurried out of the frozen garden, and into the circle of Firestarters slowly moving inwards. 

“-ice-” He heard one of them talking into something. “I think Marufuji’s frosted over, sir.” 

Akaba Leo’s voice came through the device. “Then he’s of no further use to us. Dispatch him as you see fit.” 

“Card him, sir?” There was far too much eagerness in that soldier’s tone. Ryou’s eyes narrowed and he clenched his fingers together before throwing them outwards. 

Tiny shards of ice flew forward, embedding themselves into the soldier’s duel disk. Sparks flew upward and the Fusion warrior jerked back, staring at them. Ryou gave him a feral smirk. 

“As if I’d waste my time dueling someone like you.” 

He turned his attention to the rest of the soldiers there. All of them stared at him, flickers of nervousness all through them. There were a lot of them – nearly thirty. 

Clearly Akaba Leo underestimated the power of a Frostflame. At least he couldn’t see any Healers there, though all of these Firestarters were bonded. Probably for the best; if they’d been meant as backup for Yuuri, he wouldn’t have wanted any other Healers there to distract Ryou’s attention. He smiled even more and took a step forward. 

“Anyone care to test me?” He extended one hand and a long spear of ice formed there by the force of his will. He admired it, tracing one finger up the side. He’d killed with his flames before. He was more than looking forward to finding out what it would be like to kill with his ice. 

“I think that would be pretty interesting, but can we do it somewhere else?” A voice that he hadn’t heard in two years. He turned toward it, eyes widening to see who stood there. 

“Asuka.” 

There she stood, a young woman in the uniform of Osiris Red next to her. That one wasn’t either Healer or Firestarter. Asuka stood there with her arms crossed over her chest and tiny flickers of flames showing at her fingertips. Her eyes focused on him, then shifted over to the encircling Firestarters 

He’d always been the most powerful Firestarter in the school. Asuka came a second – a very close second. She lashed out a long whip of flame, cracking it among the Firestarters, sending them sprawling. 

“Let’s get out of here,” Asuka said. “Akane can get us to XYZ. If that’s where you want to go.” 

Ryou nodded. “I have someone there I need to talk to.” There was a soft pain in the center of his heart at the thought of Mizael. Not to mention that the longer he stood, the more he wanted to not stand at all. Better to get there as soon as possible. 

Asuka and her friend Akane came down, Asuka lashing out with little bits of flame to keep the Firestarters at bay. Some of them tried to seize hold of her flames – when they did, Ryou struck them with his ice darts. They didn’t last long after that, most of them breaking and fleeing. He suspected a lot of them would end up carded because of that. He couldn’t be upset. It was the least that they deserved. 

A footstep behind him sounded and he glanced up in time to see Yuuri, supported by Vector, in the entrance of the Garden. Ryou met Yuuri’s eyes and saw nothing but rage and hate, far more so than he’d ever seen there before. He turned back around and rested one hand on Asuka’s arm, while Shou kept one arm around his waist, and Kei pressed against his leg. Asuka’s other arm rested on Akane’s shoulder, creating a bond between all of them. 

Akane’s eyes flicked briefly to Yuuri, fear shimmering there, before she jerked her attention back to her duel disk and tapped the button. Everything around them faded away. For a few heartbeats they weren’t anywhere at all. Then they were somewhere else. Somewhere Ryou didn’t recognize at first. 

Ruined buildings rose in every direction. There were a few fires flickering, but none of them felt like they were Firestarter-born. He couldn’t be sure if that was because they weren’t or if because his senses were off because of having frosted over. The city felt empty. Rising overhead at a distance was a shimmering shield of some kind. 

“This is Heartland,” Kei whispered. “This is what’s become of it since the war began.” 

_Oh._ Ryou swallowed, fighting to maintain his balance and not sure of how much longer he could. Shou and Asuka stared at the devastation around them and Asuka bit her lip before she turned to Akane. 

“You were right,” she whispered, horrified. “This – this isn’t right. This isn’t what we were told.” 

Akane nodded, eyes downcast. Ryou drew in a breath of his own and his legs wobbled. Shou tightened his grip. 

“Where is your friend?” He asked. “We need to get you somewhere to sit down. And I bet you’re hungry, aren’t you?” 

“And we need to move away from here before the Professor sends someone looking for us. Yuuri’s going to be out of commission for a while after what I did to his Garden.” Ryou didn’t hold back his smirk at that. “But I don't know where Mizael is now.” 

Kei looked around carefully. “Let’s get away from here for now. I can go looking for Mizael and the rest of the Resistance once you’re sitting down. You’ll all need someone to vouch for you regardless.” 

Ryou wasn't going to argue that point. It wouldn’t make any sense for them not to be trusted – four of them were from Fusion, after all. He didn’t feel up to arguing themselves out of whatever trouble they might get into. 

Asuka and Akane took his arms – very carefully, he could feel Asuka shivering at the touch – and helped him along. He walked carefully, noticing as he did that where he stepped, an ice trail formed ever so briefly. That might make it easy to track him. 

_I’ll have to see if I can stop that._ He’d look into it when he had the time. Had he heard that XYZ had Frostflames? He couldn’t remember. 

The longer that he walked, the more he just wanted to sit down. Shou had been right; he was hungry. He wanted food that he could trust after everything he’d eaten under Yuuri’s direction. 

He wasn’t sure of how long he kept going before an unexpected voice cracked. “Who are you? Stop and identify yourselves!” 

Ryou raised his head and tried to identify the people there. There were three of them; all of them wore red scarves on various parts of themselves, but that was all they had in common. Two of them did look as if they were related, and they were both Firestarters The third was a Healer, and Ryou thought that he was bonded to one of the Firestarters. Exactly which one he wasn’t sure. 

_I have a lot to get used to now,_ he thought, a bit hazily. Then he squared up his shoulders. 

“We’re defectors from Fusion,” he declared. It sounded strange to say but he liked the taste of truth on his tongue. “Marufuji Ryou, Marufuji Shou, Tenjoin Asuka, and-” 

“Himura Akane,” she filled in her name, clearly not having expected him to know it. “Please, our friend here needs help. He’s just frosted over.” 

The Firestarter with red and yellow hair gave him a careful look over. “Yeah, looks that way to me. But you’re Fusion. Got a good reason I shouldn’t just melt you?” 

He looked as if he would very much enjoy that. Ryou wondered if he would have felt the same way if these three had entered Fusion and requested assistance. He was honest enough with himself to admit that he probably would have. Not that anyone with any sense would defect _to_ Fusion. 

Kei moved forward, drawing in a deep breath and staring at the three, whiskers twitching. Then he chuckled. 

“Because if you did, Mizael would be very upset with you, Thomas Arclight. As would your brother.” 

The name flickered in Ryou’s mind. He’d heard it somewhere before. But he couldn’t place it. He wasn’t sure where Kei would have heard it. 

The one the Cat addressed gave Kei a very suspicious look. “And how do you know who I am?” 

“You were a Pro Duelist,” Kei pointed out with a hint of amusement. “I’ve read many Dueling magazines and I watched your last Pro duel before the season ended.” He regarded the Healer there. “Which would make _you_ his Healer – Kamishiro Ryouga.” 

The other folded his arms and snorted. “I think a better question is how you know Mizael and Chris.” 

“We can talk about that later. For now, I attest to you, on my honor as a Healer, that these four of Fusion no longer hold any allegiance to Akaba Leo or anyone associated with him. Marufuji Ryou is my partner – not bonded, as of yet, but that can wait until another day. We need assistance. Will you help?” 

The third one finally spoke. “I think we should help them.” 

As he spoke, Ryou saw a tiny movement out of the corner of his eye – Shou stared at the second Firestarter, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape. He glanced back at the other one, and saw his gaze rested without question on Shou. 

Kei saw it too, looking between the two of them before he looked at Ryou, a definite amused tilt to his ears. Ryou offered a bit of a smile. He’d seen a few pairings where Healer and Firestarter took to one another very well. But he’d never thought to see it between his brother and an XYZ Firestarter. 

“See something you like, then?” Thomas Arclight asked, snickering under his breath. The other just glared before he returned his attention to Shou. 

“Michael Arclight,” he introduced himself – to Shou and not to the others. He bowed as he spoke. “A pleasure to meet you.” 

Shou squeaked a little, eyes so round and about to pop out of his head. “M-Marufuji Shou. I’m a Healer.” 

“I noticed.” Micheal replied, a gentle smile touching his lips. “Let’s go.” He held out one arm to Shou, who took it with a tiny bit of trepidation, that seemed to fade away as the two of them started to walk. Ryou hoped he was at least a good a person as he seemed right now. 

Asuka and Akane both took Ryou’s arms again and started forward. Ryou let his mind rest as they walked. He’d fought to keep himself going ever since all of this started and now what he really wanted to do was just sit down and rest. Every step seemed to weigh a little more heavily on him, and he couldn’t keep his attention on what was going on anymore. 

He wasn’t sure when everything just faded away, but he let it happen without protest. Perhaps, he thought vaguely, Mizael would be there when he woke up again. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** One day I might write a sequel detailing out events with Shou and Michael. Anyone interested?


	21. Chapter 21

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
**Characters:** Durbe, Chris, Michael, Shou, Rio, Asuka, Kei (OC), Mizael|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
**Chapter:** Twenty-one|| **Words:** 3,011|| **Total:** 64,197  
**Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
**Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
**Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
**Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
**Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Durbe bent over the duel disk – or what had been a duel disk. He’d taken it apart and now stared at each individual piece, trying to figure out what they were. He knew how most duel disks worked. This one had a few extra abilities. The first thing he’d identified was the self-destruct mechanism. That one was taken away to be dealt with. They didn’t need it. 

But now he looked for the way they could cross dimensions and how to make their monsters solid. He worried at his lip, then glanced at Chris, who stared at some of the software he’d managed to extract. 

They didn’t have as many computers as they really needed for this, let alone ones of high enough power, but they did what they could. It wasn’t as if they had many other options. 

It wasn’t just the two of them there. Rio and her Healer, Kotori, had also managed to bring in a couple of duel disks – thankfully ones that weren’t frosted over – and those rested to one side, having also been deprived of their self-destruct capabilities. One of their duel disks rested next to it, also taken apart, ready for a point by point comparison. 

Rio played with a string of ice between her fingers. “Are you going to need us for anything else or can I go find out what my idiot brother has been doing? I got a message from him – something about having found some defectors or something.” Her nose wrinkled. “Which I sort of doubt. He wouldn't know a defector if one walked up and defected at him.” 

Durbe managed not to smile, but it was an effort. He’d known the twins for as long as he could remember and while they sniped at each other constantly, the moment someone dared to snipe at them, he had to deal with the wrath of a Frostflame and the fury of the First Healer of Heartland City. Most people didn’t want to do that. 

He’d wondered at some point if he and Ryouga would bond. He wouldn’t have objected, but Ryouga ended up bonding with Thomas Arclight. Durbe certainly wasn’t going to complain – it led to him meeting Chris and finding not just his own Healer but the love of his life. 

“Go ahead if you want to,” Chris said with a quick wave of one hand. “Bring them back here if there are any real defectors. Maybe we can get some help working this out.” 

Durbe didn’t know if that were possible – any defectors being able to help or any defectors existing in the first place. But he nodded his agreement and focused on the work at hand. His lips pressed together as he stared at what he knew was the part of the duel disk that created the holograms. He couldn't figure out how they made the holograms _real_ though. 

“They did something to add mass to them,” Chris said, still staring at the software. “But I can’t figure out how. I don’t understand this code.” 

Durbe took a look at it. He didn’t expect to understand it at first glance and he wasn’t surprised when he didn’t. But he regarded it thoughtfully, checking for anything that might make a smidge of sense. 

“Do we have anyone else who might be able to decipher this?” Durbe wondered. He didn’t have an accurate list on everyone who’d survived so far. Someone should probably make one of those. 

Chris leaned back and closed his eyes, rubbing at the side of his face. “I can ask Kaito. But he’s been very busy lately.” 

Durbe nodded. Kaito hadn’t had a single moment of happiness since this began. His father and brother – no one had ever heard a word about his mother – hadn’t survived the first wave of attacks. Kaito hadn’t lost any time ambushing a Fusion soldier and stealing his Duel Disk. Exactly how many people he’d carded by now Durbe didn’t have any idea. Only that Kaito didn’t care about sharing the tech, just about exacting revenge. 

“Let’s take a break,” Durbe suggested. “Where did Mizael go?” Almost as soon as they’d made it back to camp, Mizael vanished. Probably going back to bed, since he’d never been much of a tech person. As long as they remembered him once they had the code cracked – and preferably some way worked out to undo carding – he wasn’t going to get in the way. 

Chris stifled a yawn. “You might be right. We won’t make any progress if we don’t.” 

Durbe stood up and stretched before heading over to where he kept the tea supplies. He’d managed to save some of those during the invasion’s chaos. One of the smaller gardens had been turned into a tea preserve, with at least three Healers taking the duty in tern to watch over it, along with their Firestarters. Durbe approved. 

_I wonder if there really are defectors._ He held himself back from the temptation to try and contact Ryouga or Thomas. Communications had been very thin since the invasion and he didn’t want to distract them if they had four possibly fractious people to take care. 

* * *

Michael helped the young Healer along – well, perhaps not that young. He thought they weren’t too far apart in age, though he wasn’t going to ask for an identification card right now. They had too much else to do, mostly involving getting back to camp and making sure that these four could be trusted. 

_And if they can’t be? What then?_ Truth to tell, Thomas would probably strip them of their duel disks and render them to ash. Or try – it might be a little difficult when one of them was a Frostflame. Even if he didn’t look as if he were capable of fighting back. The two young women carried him along, though clearly they weren’t having the easiest time of it. 

He glanced over to his own companion. “Why did you defect?” He asked quietly. They did need to get some information, after all. 

“Because the Professor let Yuuri hurt my brother,” Shou said quietly, his eyes shifting over to the taller young man. “And I found out about what’s really going on from Kei.” 

Kei, the Healer Cat. Michael had heard of him; Chris had passed the first warnings of the invasion on to him and mentioned he’d learned of it from a Cat. He wondered if it was the same one. 

“And – if I’d stayed behind ” Shou glanced away for a moment. “If my big brother left and I didn’t, I probably would have been carded. Or worse.” 

Michael’s free hand clenched. “Why would they do that? You didn’t do anything wrong!” 

Shou blinked up at him. “What’s that got to do with it? I’m his brother. They would have either sent me to get him – and risk that I’d never come back – or card me – or turn me over to Yuuri to be turned into mulch.” 

Michael’s throat closed. Just the simple way he _said_ it, as if Michael should have known that, as if anyone would have known it – it sickened him. He shook his head. 

“We don’t do things like that here. If you want to help us, we can always use help in the Gardens. Or you could duel – my brother will probably want to take a look at your duel disk. We’re trying to figure out how those work.” He knew that Chris and Durbe had gone searching for stray Fusion soldiers earlier that day. They’d probably found some by now; it was getting closer and closer to the afternoon so they’d had lots of time. 

Shou blinked. “It’s not that hard. We have classes on it.” 

Michael didn’t hold back his grin. “You and my brother are going to want to talk. A lot.” 

The Night Garden’s guards allowed them through – mostly because they were in the company of Michael, Ryouga, and Thomas – and they made their way through the lanes to where the tents had been set up. The Garden looked a lot different from before the invasion; it could hardly be recognized as the same place. 

“What are you going to do with my brother?” Shou asked, nervous. Ryouga turned towards him. 

“He’ll be fine. My sister’s a Frostflame. She can help him.” 

“Whoa. You really did find some defectors.” A female voice spoke up without warning and the new arrival turned towards them. She stood there, one hand on her hip, her hair a long cascade of blue-white, and a very curious expression on her face as she strolled towards them. 

“How were things with Durbe and Chris?” Michael asked. Rio glanced over. 

“They’re over there,” she said with a nod towards a larger area. “They’ve got a few of those duel disks and are working on them now.” 

Michael tugged at Shou’s sleeve. “Let me introduce you to my brother Chris. You said that you knew about who those duel disks work, right?” 

“Well, sort of,” Shou murmured, a faint tinge to his cheeks. “But my brother-” He cast his attention back towards Ryou, being taken elsewhere by four young women now. 

“You can see him later,” Rio said, raising her head and favoring him with a tiny smile. “But he’ll be fine. He’s coming through the change very well.” 

Kei nudged Shou for a second. “I’ll stay with him. Go ahead. Help where you can.” 

Shou nodded, and Michael guided him through the lines of tents to where Durbe and Chris would be. The farther they went, the more he could see Shou staring at everything around him. He shuddered a few times. 

“The plants – they’re so angry,” Shou murmured. “They don’t like people from Fusion.” 

Micheal patted him. “Don’t worry about it. They’ll get to know you and they’ll like you too.” 

Shou didn’t say anything, just kept on going. When they got to the right tent, Michael poked his head between the flaps. “Hi, guys!” 

Durbe and Chris looked up from their cups of tea. Michael could see duel disks and parts spread out on the table before them. He waved, then stepped inside with Shou. 

“Ryouga, Thomas, and I found some defectors from Fusion,” he told them, gesturing to Shou. “This is Marufuji Shou.” Now that he thought about it, hadn’t they mentioned Mizael knowing Shou’s brother? He hadn’t really remembered before. 

Both of them came to their feet. “Marufuji?” Chris asked. “I presume that you have a brother?” 

“Yeah. He’s – over there.” Shou waved one hand a little vaguely. 

“He’s a Frostflame now,” Michael reported. “Rio’s taking care of him. Has anyone told Mizael yet?” 

“Considering you just told us, probably not.” Chris pointed out with a hint of amusement. “You’d better have someone do that. But I’m sure that you didn’t bring your new friend here just to say hi.” 

Michael hated blushing. He didn’t do it often but with the way Chris eyed them and with Shou there – he couldn’t help but feel a little flushed. 

“No. He knows about those things.” Michael nodded towards the duel disks. “He can help.” 

Both of them turned to look at Shou, whose shoulders tensed briefly before he swallowed and stepped forward. “I don’t know how they work,” he said. “But we were given basic classes in what the parts are and how to repair them if they were damaged and we couldn’t bring it in. That wasn’t supposed to happen a lot, but we were taught anyway.” 

“So you know how they put the mass into the holograms?” Durbe asked. Shou nodded and moved closer, looking over the stretch of parts on the table. Michael watched as the three of them fell into some sort of technical talk. Shou didn’t seem as versed in it as they were but they still understood each other. 

Michael settled down, made himself a cup of tea, and enjoyed what was left of the afternoon. Perhaps things might just be getting a little better. 

* * *

Rio, Kotori, Asuka, and Akane settled Ryou down on a cot. Kotori and another Healer started to look him over, while Rio and Asuka stepped back, Akane with them. 

“How did he frost over?” Rio wanted to know. Asuka shook her head. 

“I’m not entirely sure. It had already started before I got there. But I’m very sure that Yuuri was involved. He’s a Healer – a very twisted one. I’ve heard more stories than I ever care to about him.” 

Rio nodded slowly. “Is he likely to come looking for revenge?” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised. But not nearly any time soon.” Asuka’s grin was a quick flash of fire across her lips. “Ryou frosted over inside of his garden. And he wasn’t very happy when he did it.” 

Rio didn’t even try to muffle a snicker at that. “So let me guess – it’s covered in ice?” 

“Covered in ice,” Asuka agreed. “It probably won’t melt for days. Maybe even longer. It is a tropical island, but Frostflame ice doesn’t melt easily.” 

“No one knows that better than me.” Rio nodded before she looked back to the other Frostflame. “All we can do right now is let him rest. How is he doing, Kotori?” 

Her Healer looked up, pushing hair out of her eyes. “He’s going to be all right as far as I can tell. I can sense the presence of two proto-bonds, though.” She nodded towards Kei, who sat there with his tail neatly coiled around his paws watching. “One for you, Kei.” 

“Of course. It’s begun to sit in since we cleared the drugs out of his system.” Kei replied with the typical smugness of a Cat. “The other would possibly be to Mizael. Who should know that we’re here as soon as possible. They have a lot to deal with.” 

Rio nodded thoughtfully. “Are you all going to need some bonding time?” 

“I know that he and I will.” Kei flicked his tail slowly back and forth. “But you’re going to have to ask him and Mizael about them.” 

Rio nodded again before she gestured for them to leave. “We can find you two a place to rest and wait for him to wake up.” She cast a quick glance to Asuka. “Are you – looking for a Healer? I know a few who aren’t bonded right now.” 

“Not right now,” Asuka said with a shake of her head. “I’ll let you know if that changes, though. 

Rio let out a laugh. “I should introduce you to Kurosaki Ruri. She’s a Firestarter too and she hasn’t met her Healer yet. Just don't burn down things if you two do meet.” 

“I haven’t burned down anything since I was seven years old,” Asuka told her. “At least not without meaning to.” 

Rio tilted her head. “That sounds interesting. What happened?” 

“You could say it was all my brother’s fault.” Asuka began to tell the tale as they headed out of the tent, leaving Kei to guard Ryou, who slept on and on. 

* * *

Mizael thought when they got back that he would just return to his tent and finish up that nap. But halfway there, he realized that he was far too restless now. He wouldn’t be able to close his eyes at all. 

So he took a walk through some of the lesser Gardens, offering them his energy, and chatting with a couple of the other Healers he crossed paths with there. One point came up fairly fast – no one had seen Vector in a while. 

_I should probably not care about that._ Vector had asked him out once or twice while they were in high school but Mizael hadn’t been interested. He’d been too busy dueling and developing his talent, and then he’d gotten interested in Kaito. 

But he always remained aware of Vector’s presence in the city. It was hard to avoid knowing when he did something, since his antics were the talk of the Gardens for weeks. To have him vanish without warning – Mizael couldn’t help but wonder if he’d somehow ended up carded. He wasn’t sure of how likely it was – Vector was an amazing duelist as well as a powerful Healer. But if someone struck him down from behind, it wasn’t impossible. 

Mizael settled himself on a pile of rubble that hadn’t been cleaned up yet and probably wouldn’t be – it was becoming home to a very attractive species of vine – and watched the Night Garden. Something felt off and he had no idea of what it was. He didn’t even know if ‘off’ was the right word. Something made him antsy and aware. 

_Is he ever going to come back? Could I trust him if he did?_ There were too many answers that he didn’t have and he wasn’t sure of where to get them except from Marufuji Ryou himself. The question of trust hung there no matter what. 

A thin thread of cold ran up his back and Mizael shivered. It wasn’t winter – if anything it was late summer. So why was getting cold? Was Rio in the area? Frostflames brought down the temperature wherever they were as a matter of courses. 

He could see the main entrance to the Night Garden from where he sat. Coming through it just then was a small group. He peered closer; was that Kei with them? It was a Cat at the least, and two members of the group carried a third. He didn’t recognize some of the others, though the longer he stared, the more he recognized Michael and Chris Arclight. Their hair colors were rather distinctive, after all. But the others… 

Mizael frowned. He couldn’t see who they were very clearly. They were too far away. But – but – he wanted to believe. There was something about the shape of the carried one that told him – he – it could be - 

Only one way to find out. He leaped down from his perch and headed for the Night Garden. It might not be Marufuji – but if it was, then Mizael had a _lot_ of questions. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** I can’t believe we’re so close to the end. Ryou and Mizael need a long talk. And I’m sure you want to know what’s going on with Vector and Yuuri. (I would have made Vector a Firestarter but him and Yuuri bonded would do nothing for Yuuri’s sanity. I know who will help with that but that won’t be for a while to come. Definitely not in this story.)


	22. Chapter 22

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
**Characters:** Mizael, Jinlong, Kei (OC), Akane, Asuka, Rio, Vector, Leo, Ruri, Shun|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
**Chapter:** Twenty-two|| **Words:** 3,033|| **Total:** 67,230  
**Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
**Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
**Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
**Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
**Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

Mizael considered as he hurried along, then tapped his deck. “Jinlong,” he murmured. “Could you go and check for me? See if that is Marufuji and what he’s doing here?” That chill warned him of something but he wasn’t sure what. 

The golden dragon appeared before him, a very amused twinkle in his ancient eyes. “As you wish.” That was all he said and Mizael wondered what he had in mind as the spirit vanished. 

Doing this wouldn’t get him information too much faster, but he would at least know if he should keep going or find somewhere else to occupy his time. He did pause to check on a couple of his favorite wisteria vines – for purely Healer reasons, of course – and headed on his way to where he’d seen them. 

Jinlong swooshed back over to him, slipping to human form, looking even more satisfied than he usually did. 

“It is Marufuji. And, it seems, his brother and a pair of friends from Fusion. From what I overheard, they’ve all defected to our side.” 

Mizael’s heart jumped at that. He told it to behave itself. “Is that all?” There had to be something more. People didn’t just defect for no reason at all. 

But now Jinlong turned a fraction more serious. “Yes. It seems that he’s frosted over.” 

Frosted over. His fires turned inward and become ice. Mizael pressed his lips together. Then he turned and hurried on to his tent. He’d kept something there ever since it had become his current home. 

Once he had it, he followed Jinlong’s directions to where Marufuji lay, sleeping off the change in his powers. He passed Rio along the way, who gave him a very amused look. 

“You’re going to him, aren’t you?” Rio asked. He didn’t deny that. “He won’t wake up until probably tomorrow. Don’t try to change that. Kei’s with him.” 

“All right.” The last thing Mizael thought he needed right now was anyone trying to matchmake. He and Marufuji could settle this on their own. 

The other Fusion Firestarter regarded him thoughtfully as well. “So you're Mizael? I’ve heard a little about you. Tenjoin Asuka.” 

“Himura Akane,” the other girl said, wiggling her fingers in a little wave. She looked more nervous than her companion did. “A pleasure to meet you.” 

He nodded. “Perhaps we can have time to talk later.” He wouldn’t mind learning more about other Firestarters of Fusion. It might help in any number of ways to learn what they were like. 

“Just let me know,” Tenjoin agreed before she, Himura, and Rio moved onward. Mizael continued his own trek, thoughts turning back to his own issues. 

The closer he got to the medical tent where Marufuji slept, the lower the temperature became. The local foliage wasn’t iced over, but he suspected that had something to do with the Firestarters roaming the area keeping things in as much balance as possible. 

There weren’t any guards outside of the tent. Perhaps with Kei there, they didn’t feel the need. He poked his head through the flap and looked around. Several cots filled the tent and a few people rested in some of them, mostly those injured thanks to those solid holograms Fusion used. 

These were the lucky ones, who hadn’t been carded. 

But then he spied Kei seated next to a cot, and on that cot – Mizael’s heart leaped up to his throat and he fought it back down. He pressed his lips together, then moved inside. 

Kei saw him, of course, and probably smelled him as soon as he entered. The other Healers who moved here and there through the tent checking on their patients greeted him with quiet nods that he returned. 

Marufuji lay on the far side of the tent, in a sheltered and quiet area that didn’t have any other patients around. Mizael stared at him for a few moments. He’d never seen the Firestarter – Frostflame – this quiet before. Granted, they’d never spent much quiet time together anyway. 

Kei watched him, the tip of his tail twitching, ears pointed towards them. When Mizael said nothing, he chuckled. 

“I would hate to say I told you so, but – I told you so.” There was definite smugness there. Mizael snorted. 

“Did you?” 

Kei flicked his tail a little more. “I did. I said that he might want to come back. You can ask him when he wakes up but what I can tell you is that his brother and I cleared out a _lot_ of memory altering drugs and Firedamp from him.” 

Oh. Mizael knew he should have been a great deal more upset over that. It really wasn’t that he wasn’t angry but – he didn’t even know. He wanted to talk to Marufuji. He wanted to hear his own words. 

There was a slim chair not that far away. Mizael brought it over and settled down into it. He pulled out the card he’d dropped by his tent to pick up and looked at it. 

Cyber Dragon Nova rose up from the card, looked around, then caught sight of Marufuji. He blinked, then peered down closer before he looked at Mizael. 

“He’s a Frostflame now,” the metallic spirit murmured. “I – can’t say that I’m surprised.” 

Mizael shook his head. “Neither am I.” There’d always been a hint of something there. He’d put it out of his mind with everything else that had happened. 

Nova settled down on Marufuji’s other side. “Do you think he would want me in his deck now?” 

“We’ll ask,” Mizael promised. Then something else occurred to him. “Have you found any of your friends here?” 

The tip of Nova’s tail twitched. “I think so, actually. I haven’t been able to find out where but I think I can sense Cyber Dragon Infinity somewhere around here.” 

“Maybe you can go looking later,” Mizael suggested. Nova nodded, settling down to watch Marufuji. Mizael leaned back into his chair and wondered how long it would be until Marufuji woke up. 

* * *

Akane sent darting little glances here and there as they moved on through the camp. The more that she saw, the more her stomach tightened and turned and she wanted to find some nice place to upend the contents. 

There were too many people crammed into this place that had once been a truly beautiful Garden. She could still see the Garden parts, but so much of it had now been turned into a place to grow food instead of having the freedom and relaxation to create beauty. Even the trees that provided shade also frequently had mushrooms or berry bushes growing underneath them and they looked _young_. 

The people tried not to jam too much around themselves, but they weren’t always succeeding. There had to be more of them than this – and if there weren’t, then it was even worse than she’d thought at first. A thriving city that now had been reduced to little more than rubble and far too many people carded. 

_Even one person is too many._ She wished she knew if the process could be undone. The question had been raised before – by one of the more bloodthirsty troop captains she’d known. The teacher who’d been asked merely replied that they didn’t need to know. The cards they collected were to be handed over and whatever happened to them after that wasn’t anyone else’s business but the Professor’s. 

The Frostflame they walked with gestured to a tent ahead of them. “You two probably need to rest. We can talk about what else you can do after that.” She worried at her lip. “Be careful about who you talk to. Not everyone's going to be welcoming. Her smile was a sudden slash of ice. “But if anyone gives you trouble, tell them to take it up with me. I would have been First Flame if I didn’t frost over.” 

Asuka nodded. “Not a problem.” 

Inside the tent there wasn’t much – two cots, two chairs, and a small box that Akane guessed would be used for storage. She settled down on one of the chairs, letting herself relax for the first time since she’d arrived in Fusion with Kei. 

“We did it,” she whispered. They’d fled Fusion, defected to XYZ. What came next she didn’t know at all. Only that they would have to do something. 

Asuka sat in the other chair, staring down at her duel disk. “We did. And – thank you. If you hadn’t told me what was going on, I wouldn’t be here now.” 

Akane managed to smile. It wasn’t a big one, more the faintest turning up of her lips. But she tried. “You would have figured it out. I believe in you.” 

“Thank you.” Asuka’s smile was a little warmer. “But I might not have until it was too late.” She shook her head, glancing to the tent flap. “What’s important is that we’re here now. We can help.” 

“And we will.” Akane didn’t even want to card Fusion soldiers, but she thought she could if she had to. It wasn’t as if they would go away if they were asked nicely. _And if we do, we’re going to fight them fairly first._

* * *

Vector lounged back in an extremely comfortable chair, nibbling on a frosted doughnut, a cup of hot chocolate next to him. These weren’t his particular new quarters but they were suitable enough for now. 

In point of fact, these were Yuuri’s rooms. Not his Garden but his room inside the school building itself. They were every bit as full of plants as any proper Healer’s room should be and every plant there currently was bent over Yuuri’s bed, trying to keep some sort of attention on him. 

After all, plants didn’t have eyes. 

Yuuri lay on his bed, tucked up under a warm blanket, sleeping a very deep sleep. He wasn’t going to properly wake up until his Garden thawed out and started getting back to normal. 

_It would be so easy to kill him right now._ Vector knew that he could have his knife into Yuuri’s heart in a single breath. But he held back his hand. There were too many plants here that would probably tattle on him to any passing Fusion Healer and he didn’t want to have to put up with being chased by Fusion people. 

He had other plans regarding Yuuri anyway. He’d had them ever since he’d first met Dennis. 

_I suppose I should get around to telling Dennis that I’m here._ The spy would be checking on his friend sooner or later. He could wait until then. It would be so much more interesting to see Dennis’s reaction when their paths crossed again. 

He sipped at the chocolate and considered his options. The Professor, arrogant jerk that he was, insisted that Vector stay with Yuuri until he woke up. Guards stood outside the door, and probably near the windows, making sure that Vector didn’t get any ideas about sneaking out. 

As if he couldn’t pop back to XYZ whenever he wanted. They hadn’t taken away his stolen duel disk. But for now, Vector remained content to enjoy himself. 

_I think I’ll order steak tonight._ He might even send it back a time or two, just to annoy whoever the kitchen staff was around here. 

But that would come later. Right now he savored his doughnut and chocolate and kept an eye on Yuuri. The other Healer slept in the deepest of sleep – probably not much different from a coma. He could be kept alive with a judicious application of Vector’s own power, ensuring that he didn’t need to eat that much, which also meant he wouldn’t need certain other care. 

The downside of that would be that when Yuuri got around to waking up, he’d be ravenous. Usually it was only Firestarters that preferred meat but after this experience he suspected Yuuri would want at least two steaks himself. Anything and everything that would work his strength back up. 

A small flytrap nudged at Yuuri’s hand. It looked very young. Vector could hear it whispering. 

**Healer? Wake up, Healer.**

“He won’t. Not yet, anyway. His main Garden’s been sent to the ice age,” Vector told the flytrap. The plant wiggled its leaves a bit, turning its head towards Vector before going back to Yuuri. 

**Wake up, Healer,** the flytrap murmured again and again. Vector snorted. He understood plants but seeing how limited they could be got on his nerves. Though there were good sides to it – the loyalty of a plant never wavered, especially if you were the Healer who grew it. 

His plants had all loved him. He’d spent so many long and happy hours in his Garden, digging and pruning and raising his favored plants by hand. 

And these Fusion bastards came along and _burned it_. He’d felt every bit of it dying, seared to ashes. 

He would bring all of Fusion down because of that. It might take a while – it surely would – and he would have to smile and simper at them. They would believe him harmless. They would believe him committed to their cause. 

And they would learn differently. 

* * *

_Four traitors. And Yuuri is out of commission as well._ Akaba Leo did not like the events of the day and to his annoyance, there wasn’t anything he could do about them. He didn’t have enough troops to systemically tear apart Heartland, not when he was preparing for another attack on another city in XYZ. 

He knew that the girl he searched was in Heartland but spreading the assault out would provide more carded souls for the Arc-V device and he needed all the help he could get with that. 

Could Dennis complete the task of taking the girl? It wasn’t impossible. He’d already met her and could be useful in luring her somewhere. But Leo wasn’t ready to take that step. It would be more useful for Yuuri to do the deed, especially since he’d already ordered Dennis to start getting ready for his next mission in Standard. 

That one would take a while, as it involved establishing Dennis’s existence there as a matter of course, and making sure no one was going to find out it was all computer hacking and lies. It would have been more useful if he’d still had Marufuji ready to go there as well. 

How had he misread Marufuji so badly? How could the boy have actually been so angry when he didn’t get what he wanted? It was only an XYZ Healer and a Cat. Neither of those should have been that important to him. The bonds between Healers and Firestarters flummoxed him even after all this time. 

And a _Cat_. How ridiculous. And then Marufuji dared to _frost over_. 

He sent out a memo – anyone who could bring in those four carded would receive a large bonus and command of their own battalion. Truth to tell, he wasn’t expecting it. Yuuri might be able to pull it off – he was vindictive enough that he’d probably go after Marufuji for freeing his garden – but anyone else wouldn’t be likely. 

But perhaps someone would get lucky. 

* * *

Word spread throughout the Resistance pretty quickly. Four defectors from Fusion – one of whom would be helping them figure out the ins and outs of Fusion duels disks, two of whom would help with the war effort itself, and the fourth – well, he’d just become a Frostflame and hadn’t woken up yet. It would be decided what he did once he recovered. 

Shun heard all of that and dismissed most of it. If they were going to be useful, just as well. If not, then they could defect over and over and he didn’t care. He had more important things to worry about, like keeping an eye on Ruri and going out to find other Fusion fighters who still kept trying to card them and stomping them as hard as he could. The sooner that he got one of those disks that would enable him to card his enemies, the better. 

Right now, though, what he did was start going through all of his card collection, the ones that didn’t work with his Raid Raptors deck but which he didn’t want to get rid of. He’d heard a lot of rumors about what these defectors used in their decks and something sparked a vague memory. 

“Brother? What are you doing?” Ruri peeked in on him. “I’m going to go meet that new Firestarter, the one from Fusion. Did you want to come?” 

“Are you sure that’s safe?” Shun glanced towards her. He didn’t care what the defectors did, as long as they didn’t do it around his sister. She would forever be n exception. She was, after all, the only family that he had left. 

Ruri sighed. “Yes. I’m sure. Rio-san and Kotori-san will be there.” 

Shun wasn’t entirely certain if that would be a good enough protection for her, but he knew how stubborn she could be. If he said she couldn’t then she’d just do it anyway. Just like she hung out with students from the other schools. That had come out well enough but in this case… 

Well, if anything happened, they’d find out how hot his fire could burn. 

“Ah!” He pulled the card he’d thought he remembered out of the box and stared at it. “This is what I was looking for.” 

Ruri came over and peered at it. “That one? Why? It’s not one of yours.” She grinned. “Or one of mine.” 

Shun rolled his eyes. “Of course it isn’t. Didn’t you hear? That new Frostflame uses Cyber Dragons. If he really intends to work with us, then he should have a proper deck, and that means using this.” 

He stared down at it. The monster would never work in his deck, but it should be perfect for the newcomer. It even seemed to work with Fusion decks. 

Odd, that. 

“He’s still asleep,” Ruri pointed out. Shun shrugged. 

“So I’ll leave it there if I have to.” He wanted to see the look in the other’s eyes when he saw the card, though. What would Marufuji Ryou’s reaction be to Cyber Dragon Infinity? 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** The building blocks for the future beyond this fic are being set… Also, an unbonded Healer having their garden burned to ash? Vector’s lucky he didn’t go suicidal instead of homicidal.


	23. Chapter 23

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
**Characters:** Ryou, Mizael, Kei (OC)|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
**Chapter:** Twenty-three| **Words:** 3,056|| **Total:** 70,286  
**Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
**Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
**Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
**Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
**Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.  
[[MORE]]

* * *

Ryou floated. He’d floated before, but this seemed different. There wasn’t any warmth here, but it didn’t feel wrong. If anything, the chill wrapped around him as tightly as the flames ever had. It had waited for him. Now it filled him and flowed along his veins. 

There was a hint of comfort nearby – two of them, in fact. He’d never felt that kind of comfort before. Whenever he floated, he’d been aware of Yuuri’s presence. Now Yuuri wasn’t there at all. Ryou tested where the attunement had been and found that it wasn’t there anymore. 

No more ties to Yuuri. Two other ties but not very tightly bound to him. He shifted, a whiff of his mind touching the closest one, the one that seemed the strongest. 

Kei. He remembered Kei – sleek, strong, black as night, powerful in Healing, dry-witted, and telling him what he’d never wanted to hear and always needed to hear. 

Kei. His Healer Cat. 

Then he brushed against the other and stirred even more, straining to open his eyes. What was _Mizael_ doing here? Why was that connection there? His heart pounded as he fought to claw his way out of the floating emptiness and back to the real world. 

Firm hands touched on his, the hands of a Healer, and his first reaction was to jerk away. Yuuri? Was it Yuuri? Had Yuuri somehow found him? He wouldn’t know anymore, would he? They weren’t attuned. He’d not have that awareness. 

But then a voice came. “Calm down. It’s me.” 

Oh. Mizael. 

Ryou still didn’t know why the other was there – he wasn’t even entirely sure of where _there_ was – but slowly he relaxed, and dragged his eyes open. 

He wasn’t in Fusion. He wouldn’t have been in a large tent if he were. He sat up in a cot and slowly looked around. Kei stood a short distance away, watching him with those cool gray eyes of his. And next to him, hands still gently wrapped around his own, was Mizael. 

Ryou drew in a breath. He could feel the chill – he’d really done it. He’d become a Frostflame. Firestarter no longer. 

A small flicker of pain at that – there weren’t many Healers capable of partnering a Frostflame, who needed the balance even more than a Firestarter did. 

“Mizael.” He murmured the other’s name. Mizael nodded. 

“You’re awake.” The blond settled back down on the chair he’d rose up from. “I was starting to wonder how long it would take you.” 

Ryou slowly settled back and tried to get his thoughts sorted out. “We’re in XYZ.” 

“Yes. You and your brother and those two women came over here with Kei.” Mizael regarded him. “Is it your intention to defect to our side?” 

Ryou blinked slowly, still not as together as he preferred himself to be. Then he nodded. “I want nothing further to do with Fusion. I’ll fight beside you if you’ll allow it.” 

“I don't think anyone will have any problems with that.” Mizael agreed. He tapped one finger against his chin. “But I have a few questions for you.” 

Ryou had expected that. “I’ll answer.” He wasn’t going to put any limitations on how he’d answer. Mizael deserved nothing but the truth. 

“Why didn’t you come back after the duel?” Mizael wanted to know. Ryou snorted. 

“It goes back before that. Two nights before the duel, in fact.” Ryou recalled it in painful detail. “The same night we went out to eat together. I came home and I had a message from home – from Fusion. The invasion would start that weekend. Kei showed up and saw the message. We – had a fight about it.” 

Kei’s tail moved back and forth. “You deserved it.” 

Ryou wasn’t going to argue that point. He suspected Kei had already told Mizael this but he wanted Mizael to know what he’d done and why. “I did. But after Kei left, I went to Fusion. I wanted to talk the Professor into sparing both of you.” He shook his head. “He refused. You were going to be brainwashed – like I was being but worse. You wouldn’t have remembered anything about your own world – about who you are.” 

He stared down at his hands. Where fire would have been flickering over there, now there were slow streaks of ice. He sighed and continued. 

“He was going to have Kei carded. I couldn't stand it. I knew – Akaba Leo doesn’t care about anyone but himself and his plans. I tried to get back here but before I could, Yuuri drugged me.” He pressed his fingers together and the ice moved with them. He stared for several long moments before he started to speak again, fascinated by the way the ice clung to him. “When I woke up, I as in my apartment. Yuuri was with me.” 

Ryou recounted how Yuuri drugged him, using the Healer’s Voice on him to ensure that he’d not only drink everything he was told but _do_ everything he was told. 

“I could feel the ice even then. The Firedamp helped.” 

Kei nodded. “You were born to be a Frostflame. It would have happened no matter what.” 

“I’ve heard of that,” Mizael agreed. “It doesn’t happen that often but it’s been known.” 

Ryou shrugged. “We’ve always been told in Fusion that it’s a perversion of a Firestarter’s power. Frosting over wasn’t allowed.” Again he flexed his fingers. “I’d be carded if I went back anyway. For so many things.” But that didn’t matter. There wasn’t anything there he wanted to go back for. 

Then he jerked up. “My deck!” Hadn’t Kei found it? His memories of their last moments in Fusion and first in XYZ were hazy and fuzzy to the extreme. 

Kei nodded to something behind him and Ryou turned quickly to see his deck sitting on a small table. There were two other cards next to it, face-down, and he picked them both up curiously. 

One he recognized – Cyber Dragon Nova – and the other he didn’t, though it was an XYZ Cyber Dragon. 

“Kurosaki Shun brought that over. He heard you play Cyber Dragons and he had that in his collection,” Mizael told him. His lips twitched. “HE hoped that you’d be awake but you weren’t yet. He also wants to duel you once you’ve recovered enough.” 

Ryou chuckled a little, reading over Cyber Dragon Infinity’s card text. _They are meant to work together._ How could this card so clearly be meant to work with his Fusion deck when it was created here, where Fusion had scarcely been heard of before the war? 

**A long tale that is.**

Three voices spoke in unison and Ryou’s head jerked up again, eyes darting this way and that. Mizael eyed him cautiously. 

No. Not cautiously. _Curiously._

Ryou frowned. “You heard that.” Mizael’s eyes focused on a place that was empty – and so did Kei’s. They saw something that he didn’t. 

“You’ve never seen spirits before?” Mizael asked. Ryou shook his head. 

“We were taught that they existed and wanted to do battle so we should be fierce warriors to honor them.” Ryou’s lips twisted into a faint smirk. “But I’ve never seen one. I thought it was just something they told us so we’d fight for them.” 

“I don’t know about there, but here, spirits are real. I’ve seen them all my life.” Mizael told him. He fished a card out of his deck. “This is Jinlong – he’s my partner. We’ve been together since I was a child. He says even before that, but I don’t remember.” He shrugged. “Anyway, that was Cyber End Dragon. They’re very pleased about you being here.” 

Ryou wasn’t sure what to think about any of this. He shook his head and tried to get himself back on track. 

“I couldn’t do much after that. Yuuri had a grip on me – we were attuned and he didn’t let me out of his sight while I was awake. I just barely managed to speak out during the duel and he wasn’t happy about it when we got back to Fusion.” 

“What did he do?” Mizael asked quietly. Ryou breathed a very deep breath – not quite a sigh but on the edges. 

“First he tried to convince me that we’re enemies – when I didn’t want to be anymore. I know we were supposed to be and I acted like it when we first met, because I didn’t know you. But you never acted like an enemy to me. You – were kind. You offered me cards and treated me like a person.” 

It sounded ridiculous to him. Words he’d never thought he’d say. Of course he was a person – but Yuuri had always treated him more like a prize he’d won than anything else, and when the prize tried to get away, treated him like a prisoner. Not what he’d ever wanted. 

“I offered you the cards because of Kei,” Mizael admitted. Kei licked one paw nonchalantly. 

“Of course I did. Because I knew you didn’t want to be part of that place.” Kei’s ears twitched. “I asked Mizael to help me convince you that you didn’t want that either. 

Ryou thought he should be upset but he couldn’t bring himself to really be. He didn’t regret anything that had happened – except for what Yuuri and the Professor had done. 

“After that, he started to drug me more seriously. The drugs that rewrote my memories.” Ryou remembered what that was like, to trust Yuuri absolutely because he didn’t remember that Yuuri shouldn’t be trusted. His stomach turned and twisted at the thought and he fought it down as best that he could. He swallowed and kept on going. “But Kei and Shou helped me – they cleared all of the drugs out of me.” 

Kei’s whiskers twitched. “Your brother’s a lot more talented than he seems. I think once he bonds he’s going to be close to as strong as you are.” 

Ryou nodded. He didn’t think he was too surprised about that. Shou had always had hidden depths. 

“So I never came back because I didn’t remember that I had anything to come back to. Or anyone.” 

Ryou couldn’t quite bring his gaze up to meet Mizael’s. He’d said what he needed to – told Mizael what he needed to. Now he wanted to rest more than anything else. 

Kei’s head rested against his. Ryou brushed his fingers gently against Kei’s fur – seeing the way the frost decorated it for a few seconds. It looked so beautiful… 

“You are my Frostflame,” Kei told him. “I knew you were as soon as I saw you. Is that what you want?” 

Ryou had never choked up about anything in his life. But he had to force the next words through a lump in his throat. “Please be my Healer Cat, Kei.” A single month before he wouldn’t have thought this possible. Now he knew so much better. 

Mizael cleared his throat. “I don’t know about in Fusion but here it is possible for a Healer and their partner to be – partners in both senses.” He tried to choose his words. “To be bonded and to be – together.” 

Ryou tilted his head, trying to grasp what Mizael was getting at. He thought he knew, but that could only be what Mizael meant, not what he wanted.. 

Something of his disbelief must have been visible in his expression, since Mizael regarded him with clear annoyance. 

“Before all of this, I didn’t want to poach and you weren’t going to cheat, so we weren’t trying to court one another as Healer and Firestarter,” he stated. “But now there’s no poaching and no cheating. You’re a Frostflame. We had a date as two duelists – and two people who might want to date one another. I want to continue that. And more – I want to court you _as both_ a Healer and a boyfriend.” 

In all of his years, Ryou had never heard an offer like that. His eyes darted quickly to Kei. 

“It has been done here,” Kei agreed. “Chris and Durbe – two of Mizael’s friends – are partnered in both senses. It is considered risky but not unknown.” 

Ryou swallowed slowly. “I – can I think about it?” He’d already gone through more than he’d ever imagined today. He wanted to make certain that he made the right choices this time around. 

“Of course. The offer is always open, though,” Mizael promised. “But whenever you decide, let me know.” 

“I will.” 

Part of Ryou already knew the decision that he would make. What other decision _could_ he make? Who else could or would want to bond with a Frostflame? 

He just didn’t want to make the decision now, when he couldn’t even get up out of his bed. When he was stronger – when he could look Mizael in the eyes – then he would accept. 

Kei nudged him again. “Oh, I suspect that you’re not the only one who will be considering bonding to someone from this world.” 

“Huh?” Ryou had started to lay down, wanting to get a bit of rest in. That hadn’t been what he expected to hear. 

“Oh, I won’t spoil it for you. But your brother has made at least one good friend here. Once we let everyone know that you’re awake, they’re probably going to come visit.” Kei told him. “Shun isn’t the only one who would like to duel you, I’m sure. Lots of people have been dueling Tenjoin-kun and Himura-kun.” 

Yes – he remembered now that Asuka and her friend had come along as well. He would want to see them once he recovered enough. Just what he’d talked about since waking up wearied him. He fought to keep his eyes open for the moment. 

“They’re fitting in very well,” Mizael agreed. “Oh, I’m sure Rio would want to come see you as well. She’s a Frostflame too. She’ll probably have a few tricks to teach you.” 

It had been a long time since he’d had to take lessons. Seeing the ice that followed his every movement meant that he would need that. At least there would be someone who could help. For now, though, he just nodded. 

“Get some rest,” Mizael suggested, a shade to his voice that made it almost an order. Ryou savored not _having_ to obey, to _choosing_ to do so, settling back down on the cot and closing his eyes. 

He didn’t float away. But sleep embraced him and he leaned into joyfully. 

* * *

Mizael wasn’t sure how long it took for Marufuji – for Ryou – to fall asleep. _Just as well he didn’t say yes right away. I want to think._

He meant what he'd asked. He wanted to try both bonding and dating. He’d heard good things from everyone he knew who was both bonded to their partner and dating them. Durbe and Chris practically dripped domestic bliss. 

But he wanted to think about everything Ryou told him. He wanted to make sure that he wasn’t going to go off and find a way to shred Yuuri into tiny little pieces. Not that it wasn’t very tempting… but that was why he wasn’t going to do it. 

**You should.** Jinlong murmured, lounging on the air near him, now in his human form. **He’s nothing but trouble. But I don’t know if you _could_.**

“Why not?” Mizael murmured, not wanting to wake up Ryou. He’d more than earned his sleep after all that. 

**Because he has a dragon’s heart. Dragons don’t die that easily.** Jinlong told him. He played with the end of his braid. **He reminds me of someone, but I can’t think of who.**

That didn't’ clear matters up. Jinlong knew a lot of people. It could be any of them. 

“You should go let people know that he woke up,” Kei told him with a nudge of his tail against Mizael’s leg. “His brother will definitely want to know.” 

Mizael knew when he was being pushed out. But he didn’t mind that much. He pushed himself to his feet. It would be rather boring just sitting here regardless. Ryou probably wouldn't wake up for hours and he had matters to take care of – such as the aforementioned letting people know that Ryou had woken up. 

“Bring something for him to eat, too,” Kei suggested. “His brother would probably know what he would like.” 

“I think you want me to talk to his brother,” Mizael replied, letting the tiniest smile touch his lips. Kei swished his tail as innocently as he could and curled up on the cot next to Ryou. 

Mizael chuckled to himself and headed outside. He trusted the Cat to guard – their – Frostflame. It might not be official yet but he and Ryou both knew what would happen. Bonds took place between those of equal power and there weren’t any other Healers in XYZ of Ryou’s strength. Not to mention Frostflames were special. Not just any Healer could bond to one. Even in Heartland, a lot of Healers feared Frostflames. Kotori was one of the few that hadn’t been. 

_Is that why she and Rio get along so well? Because they’re bonded and they love each other?_ He couldn’t be sure and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask. 

Regardless, that was one of the reasons Kei was there. A Healer Cat held no fear of a Frostflame. Not to mention, someone like Ryou needed a _lot_ of balance, more than what one human could give him. 

But all of that would be settled later. Now he hurried along to the practice ring where he knew Michael would be this time of day. Shou would be there with him, since the younger Marufuji had developed a positive fascination for watching Michael spar against the handful of other blade-users in Heartland City – at least the handful that remained. A lot of them had ended up carded since the war began. 

_I should get mine and go up against him a few times,_ Mizael mused as he walked, touching a few trees and bushes as he did. _I could use the exercise._

He did not deny that it would be amusing to do so in front of Ryou. Had Ryou ever seen two swordsmen sparring? He would have to ask. And if he hadn’t – well, then, that boded very well for the future, didn’t it? 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Yeah, I missed yesterday’s update. Sorry about that but I had a metric ton of things I had to do fall on top of me and eat up all of my energy so when I had time, there wasn’t any drive to post anything, written or not. But I only have two days left so that shouldn’t happen again.


	24. Chapter 24

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Shou, Mizael, Michael, Dennis, Yuuri, Ryou|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael (eventually)  
 **Chapter:** Twenty-three| **Words:** 3,019|| **Total:** 73,305  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.  
[[MORE]]

* * *

Flames flickered around the edges of Michael’s sword as it clashed against his opponent’s. The opposing swordsman didn’t flinch; Shou gathered that he’d sparred against Micheal before and was used to how a Firestarter fought. 

He couldn't take his eyes off of the display. He wouldn’t have even if he’d wanted to. Michael, he’d learned over the last couple of days, used his sword like an extension of himself. It was a view of beauty that he couldn’t get enough of. 

He didn’t spend all of his time watching Michael. He spent at least part of it helping Durbe-san and Arclight-san – the oldest one – with learning the details of how to work the Fusion duel disks. Other times he spent sparring against XYZ duelists, teaching them how to fight against Fusion, and some time he also spent going around the remaining gardens of Heartland and encouraging what grew there. 

And with what little time he had left, he visited his brother and made sure that Kei was all right. He’d met Mizael by now, and the first thought through his mind was that this duelist was a perfect match for Ryou in every possible way. Talented in dueling and a powerful Healer both, which were only the tip of the iceberg. 

Boy, did that feel different now that Ryou had frosted over. He’d seen how the ice clung to Ryou and shifted whenever he moved in his sleep. Shou wondered what it would be like once his brother finally woke up. Kamishiro-san – the Frostflame – told him that most Frostflames slept for at least a whole day after they frosted over, since their bodies were rewiring themselves. 

He’d visited Ryou earlier that day and there wasn’t a sign yet that he was waking up. He would visit again around lunch time. 

Someone settled down next to him and Shou glanced for a second. He wasn’t expecting to see anyone he knew and blinked as Mizael rested one foot on the bench in front of them, lounging against the one behind them. 

“Is everything all right?” Shou wondered, fingers tightening a little. Everyone _said_ that his brother would be more than strong enough to survive the experience of changing but it wasn’t always a sure thing. 

“Yes,” Mizael assured him with a slight nod. “I was just wondering – what sort of soup would your brother like best?” 

Shou blinked a few times. That wasn’t a question that he’d expected to hear. “What?” 

“What soup does he like the best? He’ll wake up again soon and he should have some lunch. Rio says changing means you’re starving afterwards. 

Shou’s mouth opened but no actual words came out first. He swallowed, closed his mouth, and tried again. “He’s awake?” 

“He was. He fell back asleep and Kei suggested I get him something for lunch. What would you suggest?” 

At first Shou wanted to just ran to his brother and try to talk to him. But he kept himself where he was and thought very heard. It had been a while since he’d so much as seen Ryou eat, let alone know what he might want to eat. 

“Well, he’s always been kind of picky,” Shou said at lat, thinking back to when they’d been children together. There had been something – “I think he might like somen noodles.” Those were normally a summertime treat and it wasn’t as much summer as it had once been, but they had the advantages of being _cold_ food. In Ryou’s current condition, hot food probably wouldn’t stay hot all that long. 

Mizael nodded. “I can do that.” He didn’t get up, though. Instead, he watched Michael as the young Arclight started to wrap up his sparring session. “I should see if he wants to go a few rounds against me,” he mused. Shou blinked. 

“You sword-fight too?” Was that something that everyone in Heartland did? Shou wasn’t certain if he had his head wrapped around that concept just yet. Was it like dueling? Was it just something that everyone did? 

“Of course I do.” Mizael chuckled. “Jinlong says that I was a warrior in one life that he knew me in. I don’t know if he’s right ” Mizael’s eyes flicked to a patch of empty space and rolled for a second before he looked back at Shou, “but I do seem to have a knack for it.” 

Shou’s mouth formed a perfect ‘o’. He’d never heard of anything like that before – at least not the way Mizael said it. He’d heard of people who thought they had past lives. But no one seemed to accept it as easily as Mizael did. 

Then Mizael pushed himself onto his feet. “I should get started on the food. You can come see him at lunch if you like. I’m sure he’d be glad to see you.” 

Shou nodded; he would have done that anyway. Then he turned back to see Michael heading over to him. His heart did a quick little skip at the sight. “He’s awake,” Shou said as soon as the Firestarter was close enough to hear him. 

Micheal’s smile lit a warmth inside of Shou’s heart. He’d never seen a Firestarter so _warm_. Every Firestarter was hot – it was in their nature, right down to their core. But Michael was the only one who truly seemed _warm_ to him. 

_I wonder if he’d_ Shou cut the thought of right there. He knew how to end the sentence; he just didn’t want to right now. It would be too terrifying to really think about it. 

So instead he scrambled to his feet and smiled back at Michael, who wiped away the sweat from his brow. 

“That’s great to hear. Are you going to go see him?” 

“Around lunch,” Shou told him. He worried at his lip for a second. “Maybe after we eat?” The two of them had shared lunch and dinner ever since he arrived here. 

Michael nodded. “What did you want to have today?” 

Meals in XYZ weren’t the same as they were in Fusion. At least they weren’t now; Shou had heard more than one person sighing rapturously over memories of meals they couldn’t have anymore. More than once he’d been tempted to secretly slip over to Fusion and bring back enough food for everyone. 

Only he couldn’t do that; he just couldn’t bring it all. So the best thing that he could do was just to help them be able to drive back the invading army. It would take a long time. Right now, XYZ didn’t have enough resources to give _everyone_ a duel disk capable of creating solid monsters. Only those who were at the peak of their skills could be given one. 

Which still meant that the Rebellion wasn’t nearly as well-populated as it could have been. 

“Whatever you like,” Shou told him. He wasn’t going to start being picky now. He did fidget, though. “Would you like some tea?” He’d always had a knack for tea bushes and there was a nice little set that he’d been devoting extra attention to. 

Michael nodded. “That sounds good. For dinner - I have a few ideas. Did you want to go to the mess tent or I can make it?” There was a bright twinkle in his eyes. 

“You can?” Shou wondered exactly what Michael had in mind and looked forward to finding out. Today looked as if it were going to be one of the best days since he’d decided to check out Yuuri’s Garden. 

The thought of Yuuri still chilled him and not in the way he’d learned to like after sitting next to Ryou. He wanted to think that they’d never see Yuuri again – that whenever Yuuri recovered from his garden’s frosting over, he would have the sense to avoid them. 

Only while he wanted to think that, Shou couldn’t bring himself to believe that. When Yuuri recovered, he would come looking for everyone who had annoyed him and Ryou would be at the top of the list. All Shou could do was hope that Ryou would be able to stand against him when the time came. 

Anyway. That would probably take a while. Ryou would be ready. Kamishiro-san would certainly have him well-trained in time. And there would be Mizael and Kei as well. Bonding improved someone’s powers quite a bit and certainly they would all be bonded sooner or later. 

Shou wondered again when he might bond – and for the first time in his life, he had a very good idea of who he might bond to. 

* * *

Mizael gathered up what he needed for the meal and started to put it together. He got it started early; most meals made in the camp right now were made in large portions for as many people as possible. But there were still a few people who took the time to make individual meals. Mizael had done this a few times, whenever he had the energy to do so. 

Today certainly counted as one of those days. The talk he’d had with Ryou cleared up more than enough that he enjoyed the idea of cooking. To find that Ryou had wanted to come back – that he’d learned better – the only reason he wasn’t humming was because he didn’t want to. There was a very jaunty tune buzzing around in his thoughts, however. 

_We’ll have to have another duel._ Oh, he really wanted that. He wanted to start over fresh, as if they’d just met one another. No more secrets to keep from one another, no more lies and no more of someone lurking just behind Ryou’s shoulders. 

There was someone else in the kitchen area right now. That wasn’t a surprise, since most of the time when he was there, someone else rustled about making tea or cooking something. He gave the stranger enough of a glance to assure himself they weren’t going to bump into one another. 

“Hey!” The stranger chirped far too cheerfully at him, waving one gloved hand. “Don’t think we’ve met.” 

Mizael shrugged. “I don’t come in here that often. Taking care of my partner to be.” He knew that Ryou hadn’t made it official yet but that didn’t matter too much. 

“Ah, that’s so sweet!” The other grinned, bending over the pot he stirred. “Oh, I should introduce myself! The name’s Dennis Macfield.” One hand twitched and a bouquet of flowers appeared from supposed thin air. Mizael had seen more than one street magician pull off the same trick but Macfield did it very well indeed. 

“Mizael,” Mizael offered as he worked. “My partner is Marufuji Ryou.” 

Dennis made a low whistling sound. “I’ve _heard_ of him. Isn’t he one of those traitors from Fusion?” 

_Traitor?_ Most people around here called the four Fusion fighters defectors. At least the ones that Mizael had spoken to. He didn’t have much time to think about it, though, as he got into the business of making food. 

“Yes, he defected. He’s a Frostflame now,” Mizael said. It wasn’t as if this was some kind of a secret. 

“So I’ve heard,” Macfield agreed. “Well, best of luck to both of you.” 

* * *

Dennis had practiced for a very long time to be capable of keeping his expressions the way that he wanted them, as opposed to whatever he was really feeling. So right now he kept that vast grin on his face when he wanted to snarl at the thought of that _Frostflame_ , the one who had destroyed Yuuri’s Garden, being here. 

He kept his attention on his own work for now. He hated making even the slightest slip and he’d already made one. He’d seen the startled expression across Mizael’s face when he’d called the traitor a traitor. But he covered that as best that he could and he didn’t think Mizael would follow up on it. He had a few ways to cover the mistake if need be. 

He’d come here for two purposes – to keep an eye on Marufuji and an eye out for Kurosaki Ruri. At least until Yuuri recovered and could take care of matters for himself. Dennis knew that XYZ traitor watched over him, but that didn’t make Dennis himself feel better in any way. One couldn’t trust traitors. That was why they were traitors, after all. 

But he couldn’t stay in Fusion. There wasn’t anything that he could do for Yuuri and the Professor didn’t want him there. He’d been told to get his cover for Standard set up. It might not be needed for a while but it would be a good idea to have it too solid for anyone to guess he wasn’t from there. 

He’d already got that started. It really didn’t need his attention constantly and he could head back there every few days to keep it going with a few duels and a few magic shows. When he wasn’t there, he’d be here, watching on one traitor and one target. 

And when he had an eye to spare, on that other Firestarter that Yuuri would definite need now. 

Just like that, a perfect idea unfolded to him and it was all Dennis could do not to giggle out loud. He would have to wait a little while to pull it off, but he could, and that was the best part. Doing this would mean _all_ of Yuuri’s targets ended up captured. 

Oh, Yuuri was going to love this. Dennis could hardly wait to make it happen. 

* * *

Yuuri didn’t bother trying to wake up. He knew that he wasn’t going to, not until his Garden thawed out and began to stir back into life. He could tell there were Firestarters working on that, but it would take days before they melted all the ice. So he just kept on sleeping and planning his revenge. 

He didn’t have just revenge – though he would savor taking it on Marufuji, and he had so many plans for how to do that. He would start with that Cat and go on from there, including the Frostflame’s brother. It would be so sweet to hear them all beg for mercy – mercy that he’d never grant. 

Yuuri could feel Vector’s presence so close to him. He couldn’t sense much else – maybe there wasn’t anything else. But he remained fully aware that Vector stayed near him and there was something that might have been gratitude for that – if he were anyone else but Yuuri. He would have to do something for Vector. He didn’t have any spare Firestarters now to give to him and Marufuji wasn't going to be in a position to bond to anyone once Yuuri dealt with him. 

He would figure out something. Maybe there was a Firestarter who hadn’t started to attend Academia yet. They would be young, Vector seemed about his own age and most students started Academia at around eleven or twelve. But that was something else he could work out later. 

Sometimes his eyes flickered and he thought he saw someone else there – the warm and reassuring presence that could only be Starve Venom Fusion Dragon. His dragon nudged at him, or made a movement in that direction. Yuuri couldn’t hear words but he knew that his dragon worried about him. 

**Of course I do, my hatchling. You are mine.**

Yuuri wanted to think he’d heard that. It didn’t seem real but it also didn’t seem _wrong_. So he just closed his eyes and let himself rest. When he woke up and could walk on his own again, he could figure out if he’d really heard it or not. 

He probably hadn’t. Though he’d thought many times before that Starve Venom had a certain presence about it, one that told him his beautiful ace creature approved of what he’d done and would continue to do. 

And there was that odd feeling he woke up to every so often in the dead o night, the sensation that told him he should be able to reach out and touch someone else – someone as close to him as his Firestarter and yet nothing like any Firestarter that he’d ever met before. 

He reassured himself that eventually he would figure it all out. He just had so much else that he needed to do. 

He would get it all done. In time. 

When he woke up. 

* * *

Mizael stepped back into the medical tent. One of the other Healers hovered over Ryou, checking him out. To Mizael’s great relief, Ryou sat up, his eyes open, one hand raised so that the Healer could examine it. Both of them looked up as Mizael entered. 

“I brought lunch,” he said, coming over carrying the bowl. “Are you hungry?” 

Ryou’s stomach growled at once, fierce and loud and demanding. He’d also brought a plate of meat for Kei, settling it down next to him as he sat down. Ryou’s eyes fastened on the bowl. 

“Those are noodles?” He asked, looking more than ready to devour the entire bowl without a break for breathing. 

Mizael nodded, pulling the small table over with the bowl on it. “The whole thing’s for you. I’m not too hungry right now.” 

Ryou didn’t argue. Instead he just started eating, while the attending Healer made a few notes and quietly dismissed himself. Mizael relaxed and watched, absolutely satisfied to see his Frostflame enjoying the results of his efforts. He looked forward to learning how to cook more things that Ryou would like to eat. He might have to talk to Kotori and see if she had nay suggestions… Frostflames didn’t eat just cold food but until their temperatures stabilized, cold remained the best. 

“Shou should be coming shortly,” he said at last, once the first rush of Ryou’s eating passed. “And he’ll probably bring Michael along.” 

One of Ryou’s eyebrows quirked. “So those two are getting along?” 

“Very much so.” Mizael agreed. “I think you’ll like Michael. I want to talk to him, too. I’ve got something to ask.” 

He could see the interest sparking in Ryou’s eyes then but refused to detail it out just yet. After all, surprises should remain surprises. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Okay. Just one chapter left. I love how I ended it. And I hope that tomorrow, you do too.


	25. Chapter 25

**Series:** Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark|| **Title:** Rewards of Losing  
 **Characters:** Ryou, Mizael, Shou, Michael, Chris, Durbe, Asuka, Akane, Rio, Dennis|| **Ship:** Ryou x Mizael  
 **Chapter:** Twenty-five| **Words:** 3,015|| **Total:** 76,323  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, YGO Arc-V, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, K5, 20+ chapters; Epic Masterclass, YGO Arc-V, #10, The Wild Card; Series Masterclass, Dragonflame & Nature’s Spark, #1, Canon Goodness; Arc-V Epic Bingo, #37, interdimensional; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #32, 25 chapters  
 **Notes:** While this is set in the Arc-V universe, it features Ryou and Mizael quite strongly, along with legacy characters not seen in Arc-V. I won’t say who will show up but I will tell you who won’t: any of the previous protagonists. It’s also a Healer/Firestarter AU, so there is a lot of world-building. The character listings will change for each chapter to reflect who is in that chapter.  
 **Extra Note:** Oops, I think I forgot to mention that the ages are different here. Ryou and Mizael are nineteen. Yuuri (as well as the other Yuus and the Bracelet girls) are seventeen.  
 **Summary:** Ryou thought he knew what his life would be like as a warrior of Fusion – endless victory. But one duel changes that, and ends up changing so much more.

* * *

_He’s very pink._ Ryou considered this Michael Arclight that Shou brought into the medical tent. Michael wasn’t much taller than Shou but they were clearly about the same age. His clothes didn’t look like anything Ryou had ever seen before, though they were a little grimy, and he wore a bright red scarf around his left arm. Ryou had seen those on every Resistance member – and now Shou wore one as well, his tied neatly around his right arm. A badge o some kind, he guessed. 

He would have to get one as well. He’d made his decision. 

“Big brother, this is Michael Arclight,” Shou introduced him as soon as they stepped inside. “Michael-san, this is my big brother, Marufuji Ryou.” 

Micheal raised one hand in greeting. Ryou could see the calluses of a sword-wielder there. He’d seen it a few times during his first stay in Heartland, and seen it on Mizael as well. 

“Pleasure to meet you.” Michael nodded towards him and Ryou returned it. He sat up in his cot, stomach full of that very pleasant noodle dish Mizael brought him, one hand resting on Kei. 

He’d never thought it would be so pleasant to just sit here like this. He could get used to it. 

“Likewise,” Ryou agreed. “I hear that you and Shou have been getting along very well.” 

Michael smiled a tiny smile. “That we have. He’s a very talented Healer.” He glanced at Shou, who turned several shades of red. “Which leads to a question I would like to ask.” 

Strange. Ryou hadn’t ever seen Shou go from red to white that fast. He suspected he knew what Michael had in mind. 

“And that question is?” 

Michael’s gaze flicked between the two of them. “Do I have your permission to court your brother as my Healer, Marufuji-san?” 

Ryou hadn’t truly felt like laughing in a very long time. That question made him chuckle. One eyebrow quirked upward. “And why do you ask me instead of him?” Though truth to tell, he had no idea of what real courting customs were in XYZ. He’d never worried about it before. 

“To be honest, I have no idea of what your courting customs are in Fusion,” Michael told him. Huh. Ryou realized he should have thought of that. “I thought it wouldn’t hurt. You are his only relative here, after all.” 

_I’m his only relative anywhere._ Their parents hadn’t lasted much longer after Shou started to attend Duel Academia. But he saw no reason to mention that right now. 

“Normally there’s a battle of some kind against anyone else who might be interested and of equal strength,” Ryou recounted, vividly remembering the day that Yuuri had “won” him. Four Healers, their own plants turned against them, shredded down into mulch. Yuuri told him with great pleasure that he’d used them to nurture his favorite flytrap – the sire of the tiny one that he’d given to Ryou. 

The one that also had died when Ryou frosted over the Garden. Ryou wouldn’t miss it. 

Michael’s lips twitched. “I think we can skip that part.” 

Ryou nodded, then glanced at Shou. “I think what matters is – do you want to court him, Shou? And be courted by him?” They weren't in Fusion any longer. They didn’t have to go by the old rules. 

Shou flushed all over again. Ryou hoped that they didn’t have to call another Healer for him. He could see Mizael trying hard not to laugh and not doing a very good job of it. Then Shou forced himself to settle down. 

“I- Are you sure, Michael-san? I’m not really that good.” 

Micheal delivered a stern look all out of proportion with his size and pink-ness. “I think you’re going to be better than you can imagine. And you don’t have to call me “san”. You can just call me Michael. 

Shou ducked his head, staring downward at the floor for a second before he raised his gaze again. “If you say so – and – yes. I’d really like to court you – and be courted by you.” 

“Good. Since I already started by cooking you lunch.” Michael grinned, probably at the way Shou flushed even deeper and stammered out a few words about how delicious it was. 

Ryou caught Mizael’s eye. “Is that a courting event here? Cooking for one another?” 

Mizael made a quiet little sound. “Oh, something like that. Why do you ask?” He seemed to be making a point not to quite meet Ryou’s eyes. 

Ryou found himself smiling. “The noodles were very good,” he murmured. What did Mizael like to eat, he wondered, and would he be able to get it? He would have to find out. 

“Oh, you said you wanted to properly learn XYZ, didn't you?” Mizael asked, Ryou nodded, and Mizael grinned a bit more. “My friend Chris – Michael’s brother – he’ll be happy to teach you. You can meet him later. Their other brother Thomas will probably want to duel you too. There’s a long list of people who want to.” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Ryou said, turning his attention to Kei, stroking one hand through the short, thick fur and hard muscles. He wondered if any of them were kith or kin to those that he’d carded before. He’d never bothered to remember the names of his previous victims and now he no longer could learn them. 

He would have to make sure that he never did that again. It was the best that he could do. 

“Kotori is your official Healer, by the way. Apparently I’m too close to you,” Mizael said, nose twitching. “But when she says you’re strong enough, we can get you training with Chris and whoever else wants to duel you. You’re never going to lack for sparring partners.” 

Ryou nodded, glancing over to the two cards on the table. Cyber Dragon Nova and Cyber Dragon Infinity. Both XYZ cards – and he could feel something about them, a sense of awareness, the same thing that he'd begun to feel about Cyber End Dragon. Mizael had indicated that meant they had spirits attached to the cards. 

That was interesting and he looked forward to finding out more about them. But not now. Now he watched as Shou and Michael sat side by side and Shou told him what he’d been up to lately and promised that Asuka and Akane would be by to visit sooner or later. Healer Kotori wasn’t going to let him be overwhelmed by visitors and if she saw all of them there, she’d probably be furious at them. 

Ryou didn’t mind. He’d always been a private person but now, he felt the need for a little companionship. Especially those who knew where he came from and didn’t care. He’d seen some of the looks that other Healers and visitors here gave him and he didn’t blame them. Not only had he been Fusion but if they knew what he’d done _before_ the war - 

Well, he didn’t know if Frostflames could be poisoned or not. He knew that Firestarters tended to burn out poisons before the toxins could really affect them. But no one he knew had ever tried to poison a Frostflame. Mostly because no Frostflames existed in Fusion. 

Even if they couldn’t be, Frostflames were as mortal as anyone else. If someone tried to kill him, he wouldn’t be surprised. He wasn't going to _let them_ but he’d not be surprised at the attempt. 

He wanted to make up for what he’d done. But dying wasn’t going to accomplish that, and he’d always had a dream of having a duel so fantastic that no one would ever forget that he’d existed before he died. So far he hadn’t. But he wasn’t going to give that up. It might not happen until after the war – or it could be one he had going up against Yuuri. He didn’t doubt that they’d fight one another one day, and he genuinely looked forward to it. 

* * *

Getting better took time and it took energy. For the first handful of days after he woke up, Ryou ate as much as he could, slept as much as he could, and slowly started to walk around again. Once he could do so without freeing the ground underneath him – he quickly learned that even when he did that, he never slipped on it. Frostflames didn’t slip, it seemed – well, once he learned that, Rio started to teach him how to be a Frostflame. It really wasn’t that difficult from being a Firestarter. 

On the fifth day after he woke up, he formally met Chris and Durbe. They entered in the afternoon, settling in the chairs next to him and introducing themselves. 

“If you want to learn to use XYZ, I can teach you,” Chris said, not wasting any words. “I’ve taught several people. Though I can’t say I’ve ever taught a defector from Fusion.” 

Ryou shrugged. “There’s a first time for everything.” He suspected he was one of the first to change sides. He wondered who else back there might decide that the Professor wasn’t the savior they all thought he was. 

“Then we can get started,” Chris declared. He gestured to Ryou’s deck. “May I?” With Ryou’s permission, he filtered through the deck, and started on Ryou’s first XYZ lesson. 

* * *

Asuka poked her head into the tent, her expression brightening when she spied Ryou seated next to his bed, chatting with Kei, sorting through his deck. 

“You’re looking a lot better,” she said, moving inside. A young woman followed her – that must be Akane. Ryou didn’t remember her much from the brief time they’d crossed paths in Fusion, but who else could it be? 

“I feel better,” he admitted. Being reborn into the ice shattered every fear that he’d ever had. Now he was what he was – and what he was was a Frostflame. 

Asuka nodded, coming over to sit in one of the bedside chairs. “What are you doing here?” She glanced towards the cards and blinked. “Is that XYZ?” 

“Yes. I’m adding them to my Extra Deck.” Ryou touched one of them with one finger, admiring how he had enough control not to ice over the card. It hadn’t always been that way. But Rio’s instructions could be very precise and very thorough. 

“I’ve been thinking of changing mine a little too,” Asuka admitted. “I sort of want to add Rituals to it, though.” 

She’d always had a talent for those, even though most Fusion people considered them a second rate Summons method at best. But Ryou nodded. “If that’s what you want.” 

He glanced at Akane. “What about you?” 

The other girl leaped a little when he addressed her, dropping her eyes down. “I don’t know yet. I usually play a Rock-type deck. I’ve been looking at some of the ones they have here, to see if there’s anything that could improve my deck. I think – I like the Gustos. They’re XYZ.” She peeked up a little, as if looking for his approval. Ryou nodded. 

“If it calls to you, try it.” Cyber Dragon Nova and Cyber Dragon Infinity called to him. He listened. 

Asuka added her agreement. “It won’t hurt to try a few different options. I hear there’s another Summons method – Synchro. You might try that, too.” 

Ryou had never seen a Synchro Summons. He wasn’t sure if he ever would. He would have to stay here in order to help the Resistance, but maybe one day, after it was over. He wasn’t sure if he was being too hopeful that he’d see the end of the war, but he liked having something to look forward to. 

“Do you think Shou might change his dueling style?” Asuka asked. “He’s been having a lot of fun dueling other people. I saw him just yesterday going up against someone. He won, too. It was close.” 

“I wish I’d seen that,” Ryou mused. He’d always enjoyed seeing how Shou developed as a duelist. But he would have more time. They had so many duels ahead of them. 

* * *

“Ruri!” Dennis chirped gleefully as he greeted Ruri. Ruri waved at him, her thoughts more on the duel she would be fighting later against that former fusion Firestarter Tenjoin Asuka. Shun would be watching, as he always did, and he would disapprove. As he always did. 

Well, he would just have to learn to deal with it. She wasn’t going to stop meeting new people and having duels with them because he didn’t approve, and the more they got to know the people who’d left Fusion, the more they would be able to learn. Maybe one day they would use that knowledge to stop Fusion altogether. 

Ruri looked forward to that. She hated everything that the war had started and had taken away from her. Her eyes still tightened up if she thought too much about her parents. 

But now she put on a gentle smile and chatted with Dennis, laughing at his magic tricks, and counting the time down until she could leave. Something about Dennis always unnerved her – the way he was just _too_ chipper. She’d offered to introduce him to Shun as well and he’d turned it down. That made her twitch a little as well. She didn’t know what he had against seeing her brother. It could just be that he’d heard enough tales about how Shun had been in school. It wasn’t as if Shun didn’t have a reputation. 

It probably didn’t matter that much in the end. Ruri suspected they’d cross paths sooner or later, and she did hope that she’d be there to see it. 

* * *

The Night Garden was still beautiful. It wasn’t quite the Night Garden anymore – enough replanting had happened so that it was just a Garden now. Those Healers who needed Gardens of their own had their little spots and many of them were rebuilding their personal areas – nests, as some people called them. 

Mizael hadn’t decided where his new nest would be. The closest he’d ever come to having a true personal Garden _was_ the Night Garden, plus a few plants in his apartment. Those now graced his tent, and seemed to have made the change gracefully. 

Now, however, he had something other than the plants to think about. He admired Ryou as the other strode into view. Today he wasn’t wearing the Fusion uniform. Today he wore black from head to toe, including a black leather trenchcoat. The only splash of color on him was the red scarf that encircled his throat. 

Just the sight of him in all of that, but especially the Rebellion’s mark, sent flashes of heat all through Mizael. He swallowed a bit, working to keep his head together, and not sure how successful he was about it. 

Ryou smiled at the sight of him – a small upward tilting of his lips that Mizael treasured. “Well?” He raised one hand to the scarf. “Christopher gave it to me.” 

“It suits you,” Mizael agreed. He glanced at the outfit again. “You have a thing for black, I see.” And oh, did it suit him. All of it did. 

“They called me Hell Kaiser at Academia,” Ryou said with a shrug. “It’s a bit of an image. But I prefer this to that uniform.” 

“It definitely suits you a lot more,” Mizael agreed. Together the two of them started to walk side by side, heading through the Night Garden’s deeper areas, the ones that were far more like the way it used to be. 

He smiled after a few steps. “This is where we met,” he murmured. “Do you remember?” 

“I remember.” It had barely been two weeks, really. Two weeks and a lifetime ago. Ryou’s lips twitched ever so briefly. “And we dueled that first time.” 

Mizael definitely remembered that. He’d had to fight for that win – he’d never even heard of Fusion before that, at least not as something that people used. A historical thing, if it had been used at all. But now it was something so much other than that. 

“I could never forget.” Mizael grinned. “And I won.” 

“Not many people have that distinction,” Ryou told him. “I look forward to a rematch – a true one.” He rested one hand on the deck he carried. “I have a few surprises in here now.” 

Mizael licked his lips, his heart-rate picking up. “Did you bring your duel disk with you?” 

“I did.” Ryou caught Mizael’s eyes, blue to blue. Both of them slowly smiled at one another, taking a few more steps. Up ahead was one of the training areas, set a short distance above the rest of the Garden. Without a question passing between the two, they headed over there. 

“This was the same one we fought on, wasn’t it?” Ryou mused, eyeing it. “I think it is.” 

“You’re right,” Mizael agreed. A suitable place for a second match, they both knew. Something just between the two of them, something only they would see. 

Mizael took his place as Ryou took his. Each shuffled their deck and drew their cards, ready to play. For the first time since the war began, Mizael knew he was going to enjoy a duel. Ryou looked more intense, but not as tense as he’d been that first time. And, of course, there wasn’t any Yuuri watching with smug superiority. 

Monsters were summoned, spells cast, traps laid and triggered. Ryou examined his cards, then quickly summoned Cyber Twin Dragon, then canceled the fusion, resulting in two Cyber Dragons on his field. He examined them with a careful eye. Then his gaze flicked to a scrap of space, that might look empty to his eyes, but his heart told him contained something else altogether. Maybe he couldn't see it, but he saw Mizael’s smile and that was good enough for him. 

“With my two level five Cyber Dragons, I construct the Overlay Network! From the deepest depths of space comes the new heart of my deck, the soul of my future! XYZ Summons! Appear, Rank Five, _Cyber Nova Dragon_!” 

* * *

**The End**

**Notes:** Well, here we are at the end. Ryou has received his reward for his initial loss – he’s lost his world and everything he had there and will spend years fighting Fusion. With his brother, his friends, and his Healer-boyfriend. One day I will write a sequel but that day is not today. I will write more Ryou/Mizael in the future, in other Aus. I’ve learned to love them so very much.


End file.
